Corruptions of Usury

From the Pens of the Pious Predecessors

Corruptions of Usury

Mufti Sayyid NaꜤīm al-Dīn al-Murādābādī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه

A true Muslim considers the pure Shariah dearer than his life. He considers it to be the highest privilege to sacrifice himself for it. The aspirations of passionate faith keep him desirous of sacrificing himself for the sacred law. He is an embodiment of sacrifice for Islam through his actions and his lifestyle.

Islamic law forbids usury

Islamic law absolutely prohibits usury, and the one who deems it lawful opposes the ruling of the Shariah, breaks its constitution and exits the folds of Islam. The Shariah declares such a person to be a disbeliever.

Allah forbid that someone claiming Islam should ever call lawful that which Allah Almighty has declared forbidden. How abominable!

Then to say that Islamic law has not forbidden trade usury is calumny against the noble Quran. Allah Almighty states:

اَلَّذِیْنَ یَاْکُلُوْنَ الرِّبٰوا لَا یَقُوْمُوْنَ اِلَّا کَمَا یَقُوْمُ الَّذِیْ یَتَخَبَّطُہُ الشَّیْطٰنُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ؕ

Those who consume usury will not stand on the Day of Judgement except like the one who has been driven to madness after being touched by a devil.^[1]

The meaning of this verse is that those who devour interest will rise on the Day of Resurrection dazed, in a stupor and they will get up and fall like an epileptic. They will get up and it will be difficult for them, with the usury coming out of their stomachs. For the people of the Plain of Resurrection, this rising and falling of those who devoured interest is a sign of usury and the humiliation of those who devoured it, which will surround them as soon as they rise from the grave.

It was narrated from Jabir رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ (may Allah be pleased with him):

لَعَنَ رَسُوْلُ اللہِ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ اٰکِلَ الرِّبٰو وَمُوْکِلَہٗ وَکَاتِبَہٗ وَشَاھِدَیْہِ وَقَالَ ھُمْ سَوَاءٌ

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم cursed the devourer of usury, the one who gave it, the one who recorded it and the ones who witnessed to it. And he said, “They are equal.”^[2]

In the noble Quran, after describing this situation of the devourers of interest, Allah Almighty has mentioned the reason for it, which also shows the ruling upon the person who says that commercial interest is permissible. Allah Almighty states:

ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمْ قَالُوْۤا اِنَّمَا الْبَیْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبٰوا ۘ وَ اَحَلَّ اللّٰہُ الْبَیْعَ وَ حَرَّمَ الرِّبٰوا ؕ

This ˹requital˺ is ˹for them˺ because they said, “Trade is only like usury”, although Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury.^[3]

In this verse, there is an unequivocal explanation and exposition of the falsehood of those who declare usury lawful like trade. To see these verses and become blind, to try to change their meanings, is opposition to Allah Almighty and His Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and Islam, audacity and faithlessness.

After this, Allah Almighty states:

فَمَنْ جَآءَہٗ مَوْعِظَۃٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّہٖ فَانْتَہٰی فَلَہٗ مَا سَلَفَ ؕ وَ اَمْرُہٗۤ اِلَی اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ مَنْ عَادَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ اَصْحٰبُ النَّارِ ۚ ھُمْ فِیْہَا خٰلِدُوْنَ (۲۷۵)

So the one to whom an admonition came from his Lord then he desisted, so that which occurred previously is lawful for him; and his matter belongs to Allah. And those who will replicate ˹this offence˺ are people of the Fire; they will reside therein for many years. ^[4]

It is stated in Tafsīr Madārik below this verse:

لِاَنَّهُم بِالاِسْتِحْلَالِ صَارُوا كَافِرين لِاَنّ مَن اَحَلّ مَاحَرَّمَ اللهُ عَزَّوَجَلّ فَهُوَ كَافِر

Indeed, they became disbelievers by deeming usury permissible, as whoever deems lawful that which Allah Almighty forbid is a disbeliever.^[5]

Following this, Allah Almighty states:

یَمْحَقُ اللّٰہُ الرِّبٰوا وَ یُرْبِی الصَّدَقٰتِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ  لَا یُحِبُّ کُلَّ  کَفَّارٍ اَثِیْمٍ (۲۷۶)

Allah eradicates usury and increases donations. And Allah does not like any deeply ungrateful, most-transgressing individual. ^[6]

There are many corruptions in usury If Allah grants sound intellect, then a person can understand that:

(1) A just code of law cannot make it permissible to take someone's wealth without anything in exchange. Interest is taken without anything in return. Zayd gave ten rupees and takes twelve; the two extra rupees are without exchange. Therefore, it must be unlawful to take them; sound intellect does not hesitate in this judgement at all.

(2) Interest harms trade because when the one possessing capital becomes the owner of other people’s wealth through interest, without struggle, he finds it unpleasant to bear the hardships of trade. Instead, he enjoys preying on the wealth of others by using the money he could invest in trade as a trap. As a result, there is a drastic reduction in the benefits of common people that are associated with development in trade.

(3) Human beings also suffer a lot from interest spiritually. The habit of benevolence and giving just loans disappears. Acts like giving a loan to your weak poor brother and raising him from his fallen state and taking care of those facing hardships, all come to a stop. In this way the world loses the pure trait of brotherly mercy and brotherly sympathy ceases.

(4) The evil emotion of greed, which is a deadly disease for human spirituality, becomes very strong and the devourer of interest looks at every person's wealth, property, house with avarice. He wishes for his brothers to fall into suffering so that they take a loan from him, and he can then take possession of their properties and properties.

(5) Cruelty and ruthlessness become the nature of the devourer of interest and he is happy with the destruction of others. A man, in his desire to become wealthy, reduces an entire family and its dependents, who lived a life of  dignified ease in the world, to becoming needy of basic necessities and pleading before others. In this way, he oppresses hundreds of people without any pity for their misery and poverty. Muslims in India have experienced it well and suffered the oppression and tyranny of these dark-hearted usurers. Today, they are shoved here and there due the ruthless brutality of these oppressors.

Islam protects its devotees from desires that bring about dark heartedness, evil of the inner self, beastly traits, harshness and avarice, and nurtures pure emotions such as kindness, compassion, good conduct. والحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمین.

It is surprising that someone should again try to prove interest useful after experiencing the deadly effect and disastrous consequences of interest in practice in this century. May Allah guide him to the straight path and save him from misguidance.^[7] اٰمِیْنْ