Tafseer of the ayah 276 of Suara Baqarah which is related to matter of Riba (interest)
Translation: Allah destroys riba and nourishes charities
It was said that Allah Almighty eradicates riba and lets sadaqah (charities) grow. Here sadaqah were introduced with riba by virtue of a unique congruity. It will be noted that there is contradiction in the very nature of riba and sadaqah, then their outcomes are also contradictory, and generally, those who engage in these two, have contradictory intentions and objectives.
The contradiction in nature can be explained by the fact that in Sadaqah one gives to others what belongs to him without any reward Or return, while in riba, that which belongs to others is taken without any compensation or return. The intention and the objective of those
Who are engaged in these_ two activities is contradictory because one who gives sadaqah elects to lessen or exhaust what belongs to him Exclusively for seeking the pleasure of Allah Almighty and for earning merit in the Hereafter; while the riba-taker is eager to collect
impermissible increase on the capital he already has. That the outcome of both is contradictory is made clear by this verse which says that Allah Almighty erases the gains obtained through riba and increases the wealth, for the giver of sadaqah. The result is that the objective of the
greedy in pursuit of wealth is not achieved, while one who spends in the way of Allah, and who was quite happy with a little decrease in his belongings, finds it full of divine barakah whereby his wealth increases and their benefits accumulate.
At this point, it may be interesting to find out what is the meaning of erasing riba and increasing sadaqah in the verse. Some commentators have said that this erasing and increasing relates to the Hereafter where the riba-consumer will find his wealth of no avail; it might as well become a curse for him; while those who are engaged in acts of sadaqah and khayraat will find that their wealth has become a source of eternal blessings. This is absolutely obvious in which there is no doubt. However, according to the consensus of commentators, the position is that the erasing of riba and the increasing of sadaqah is most certainly related to the Hereafter, but some of its traces are observed in this world as well. The money or property of which riba becomes a part is sometimes destroyed taking with it all that was before it. This is a common sight in markets of riba and stocks where millionaires and capitalists of yesterday become insolvents and paupers of today. No doubt, there are chances of profit and loss in riba-free business activities and there are many businessmen who face losses in business deals but a loss that turns a millionaire into a beggar is witnessed only in riba markets. There are so many statements of the experienced & knowledgeable people who say that the wealth collected through riba may increase faster and higher, but it generally does not survive long enough to run through children and their successors. In between, comes some calamity & wipes out everything.
Sayyidna Ma'mar (radiyallahu anhu) said that they have heard from their elders that forty years hardly pass on the riba- consumer when muhaaq (major loss) overtakes his wealth. May be, the wealth or property does not go to ruins outwardly, but this much is quite certain that its benefits, utilities, and blessings will go away. Since this is no secret that gold and silver are not desirable or useful as such. They cannot remove hunger or thirst. They cannot help beat the heat or serve as quilt and wrap in winter. Neither can they be used as clothes or utensils. The only purpose for which a wise person goes through thousands of exercises to procure and secure these can hardly be anything else except it makes man’s life pleasant and that he may live a life of comfort and self-respect.
After having understood this, let us compare the two activities of riba dealings and sadaqah and khayriit. It will soon be noticed that the wealth of the riba-consumer, no doubt, appears to be increasing, but that increase is akin to the swelling of the human body. The increase in swelling is after all an increase of the body itself. But no sane person would like to have this sort of increase because he knows that this increase is a certain knock of death. Similarly, no matter how increased is the wealth of the riba-consumer, he remains, for ever, deprived of its fruits, that is, comfort and honor.
A little thought here would lead every sane person to differentiate between the articles of comfort and comfort itself. There is a big difference between the two. The articles of comfort are made in factories and sold in markets. These can be procured against gold and silver, but that which is known as comfort, peace and bliss, is neither made in any factory nor sold in any market. This is mercy (rahmah) which comes directly from Allah Almighty. There are occasions when this cannot be procured no matter how much one holds in his possession. Just think of the comfort of a sound sleep. In order to have it, we can certainly do our best - make a sleep-oriented house which is the best possible, perfect arrangement of air and light, cooling, heating, handsome looking furniture, the bed, the mattress, the pillows, all chosen ideally - but can we be sure that sleep will come just because all this helpful paraphernalia is there? If you have never personally experienced this, there are thousands who cannot sleep due to some disease, and who would say no. Reports from a country, so wealthy and 'civilized' like USA, UK, EUROPE reveal that seventy per cent people cannot sleep without sleeping pills. There are times when even these do not work. You can buy from stores things to make you sleep but you cannot buy sleep from any store at any price. Similar is the case of other articles of comfort and enjoyment. You can buy these articles against money but it is not necessary that you do experience comfort and enjoyment.
Again, after having understood this, if we look closely at what happens to the consumers of riba, we shall find that they have everything in the world except what we know as real peace and comfort. So intoxicated they are in turning their ten million into fifteen and fifteen into twenty that they have no time to eat, or dress up, or be with their wives and children. Anxieties after anxieties chase them day and night. With them they sleep and with them they rise. How terrible of these crazy people who have confused comfort with articles of comfort, and therefore, they are far far away from it.
With that these people become hard-hearted and merciless. Taking advantage of the poverty of the poor and the low income of the low-income people becomes their very occupation. Like parasites, they suck their blood to feed their own bodies. Since that is that, it is just not possible that people will ever respect them. If you see them as they are, you will find that their coffers are filled with gold and silver and precious stones yet they are given no respect in any group of human beings in any corner of the world. Moreover, the inevitable outcome of this cruel practice of theirs is that the poor start grudging and hating them, so much so that in the world of today most wars are an expression of this grudge and hate. It is the confrontation between labor and capital that introduced the ideologies of socialism and communism in the world. The subversive activities of communism are a result of this grudge and hate. The whole world has become a burning cauldron of killings and confrontations because of these. This much accounts for their personal comfort and social prestige. Experience bears out that riba-earnings never make even the life of their children pleasant. Either the earnings go to waste or, because of its curse, they too, remain disgraced and deprived of the real fruits of wealth.
On the contrary those who give sadaqah and khayraat You will never find them running after money so anxiously. They may
have lesser articles of comfort but they shall be found having more satisfaction and peace of heart, which is real comfort, as compared to those who have all those supporting articles. Consequently, they shall be looked at with respect and admiration by every human being of the
world.
In short, the above statement of the verse is very clear in relation to the Hereafter. However, if we wish to understand, with a little effort, it is equally open in respect of this worldly life. This is what is meant by the hadith in which the Holy Prophet & said:
No matter how much riba increases, it will decrease ultimately.
(Musnad Ahmad and Ibn Majah)
At the end of the verse (276), it is said:
Allah Almighty does not like any disbeliever, any sinner.
Here it has been indicated that those who just do not hold riba as haram have fallen into kufr (disbelief); and those who do know it to be haram, yet get involved with it, are sinners, transgressors or fasiq. (ends)
Note: above matter is extrcted from Tafseer m,aariful quran with some addition and deletion, hence it continue in the next post Insha Allah
Mufti Abdulqayyum
07/02/2011
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