Riba – The Declaration of War

 

 

 

 

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah Verse 278:

 O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you,  if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

 

So,

 

Are you at WAR  

with Allah and His Messenger (pbuh)

 

The only outcome of that war will be your defeat.

 

 

On this earth we did not exist before we were born, similarly with our death we will leave this world –the earthly life is too short. Allah created us from drop of sperm; He created this earth and created rules to live by for humans. If we implement those rules that means we recognize Allah as our King but if we do not then we are rebels against Allah.

Among the most important of the rules set by Allah is prohibition of Riba / Sood / Interest.

Sura Al-iImran (3:130) O ye who believe! devour not usury doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.

Sura Al-Baqara (2:278) O ye who believe! fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for usury if ye are indeed believers.

Sura Al-Baqara (2:276) Allah has laid His curse on usury and blessed charity to prosper. Allah does not love any ungrateful sinner.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 63, Number 259: Narrated Abu Juhaifa: The Prophet cursed the lady who practices tattooing and the one who gets herself tattooed, and one who eats (takes) Riba’ (usury) and the one who gives it. And he prohibited taking the price of a dog, and the money earned by prostitution, and cursed the makers of pictures.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 51, Number 28: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Avoid the seven great destructive sins.” The people enquire, “O Allah’s Apostle! What are they? “He said, “To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (usury), to eat up an orphan’s wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse, chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.

Prophet’s (pbuh) Last Sermon:   …..Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived…

Below hadiths shows how despised, loathed, detested and abhorred Riba is.

Al-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2826) Narrated by Abu Hurayrah Allah’s Messenger (saws) said, “Usury has seventy parts, the least important being that a man should marry his mother.”

Al-Trimidhi (Hadith 854): Narrated Abdullah ibn Hanzalah ; Abdullah ibn Abbas Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “A dirham which a man knowingly receives in usury is more serious than thirty-six acts of  fornication.” Ibn Abbas’s version adds that he said, “Hell is more fitting for him whose flesh is nourished by what is unlawful.”  Ahmad and Daraqutni transmitted it. Bayhaqi transmitted in Shu’ab al-Iman on the authority of Ibn Abbas.

Some people say “riba is a trade” or “riba is important for trade”, let them hear what the one- who created them and will make then die and will take account of what they utter- says,

Sura Al-Baqara (2:275) Those who live on usury will not rise up before Allah except like those who are driven to madness by the touch of Shaitan. That is because they claim: “Trading is no different than usury, but Allah has made trading lawful and usury unlawful. He who has received the admonition from his Rabb and has mended his way may keep his previous gains; Allah will be his judge. Those who turn back (repeat this crime), they shall be the inmates of hellfire wherein they will live forever.

Those who indulge in riba/interest may have their earthly life eased in some respect but what awaits them is nothing but ruin.

Sura Al-Baqara (2:278) O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you,  if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Need I say what will be the outcome of that war; can any one win against his creator.

Sura Al-Baqara (2:275) Those who live on usury will not rise up before Allah except like those who are driven to madness by the touch of Shaitan. That is because they claim: “Trading is no different than usury, but Allah has made trading lawful and usury unlawful. He who has received the admonition from his Rabb and has mended his way may keep his previous gains; Allah will be his judge. Those who turn back (repeat this crime), they shall be the inmates of hellfire wherein they will live forever.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 468: Narrated Samura bin Jundab: ……………….The Prophet said, “……………………… So we proceeded on till we reached a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river. Whenever the man in the river wanted to come out, the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat to his original position; and so whenever he wanted to come out the other would throw a stone in his mouth, and he would retreat to his original position. I asked, ‘What is this?’ ………………….those you saw in the river of blood were those dealing in Riba (usury). ………………..”

Al-Trimidhi (Hadith 857): Narrated AbuHurayrah Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “On the night when I was taken up to Heaven I came upon people whose bellies were like houses and contained snakes which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked Gabriel who they were and he told me that they were people who had practiced usury.” Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Hell is not the place to be in. It’s a place created to punish people for their crimes. Can anyone withstand it? We can’t even withstand boiling water of this world.

Consider following and tell who is guilty among them:

A prostitute selling her body and soul; a client of hers paying for the sin; a pimp/madam who arranges the meeting?   —-Not one but all of them are guilty of sin. Same is the case with riba. Not only riba eater but also riba giver (those who take interest based loans), the one who does the documentation of the transaction and also the witness are guilty of the sin of riba as is clear from following.

Al-Trimidhi (Hadith 858) Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib Ali heard Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) curse those who took usury, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah. And he used to prohibit wailing. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Mishkat-ul-Masabih Hazrat Jabir r.a. has reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) cursed the devourer of usury, its payer, its scribe and its two witnesses. He also said that they were equal (in sin).

So not only should a Muslim not eat riba but also Muslim should not work in interest based institutions. So it is requested to all the Muslims working in interest based institutions to leave them considering how grave this sin is and how grave the punishment is. And also stop taking loans based on interest.  On the face of it, it may seem that by doing this our life may become somewhat difficult but then in the life of Prophet (pbuh) is the role model for us and Prophet (pbuh) lived this worldly life as a poor person..

Sura Al-Ahzab (33:21) You have indeed, in the life of Rasool-Allah, the ‘Best Model’ for him whose hope is in Allah and the Day of the Hereafter, and who engages himself much in the remembrance of Allah.

Al- Tirmidhi  (Hadith 1376) Narrated Anas ibn Malik ; AbuSa’id  The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “O Allah, grant me life as a poor man, cause me to die as a poor man, and resurrect me in the company of the poor.” Aisha asked him why he had said this, and he replied, “Because they will enter Paradise forty years before the rich. Do not turn away a poor man, Aisha, even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you, Aisha, Allah will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.”  Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi, in Shu’ab al-Iman, transmitted and Ibn Majah transmitted it up to “in the company of the poor” on the authority of AbuSa’id

Also, wealth from usury has no blessings in it………………….

Al-Trimidhi (Hadith 856) Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Even though usury be much it leads in the end to penury.” Ibn Majah, Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu’ab al-Iman and also transmitted by Ahmad.

In our time we can see that riba/interest based institutions have penetrated in every aspect of our life. This was also prophesized

Mishkat-ul-Masabih Hazrat Abu Hurairah r.a. reported that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said : A time will certainly come over the people when none will remain who will not devour usury. If he does not devour it, its vapour will overtake him. [Ahmed,Abu Dawood,Nisai,Ibn Majah]

So it’s our duty and we owe it to ourselves considering the punishment of riba that we at least stop indulging in direct riba and try to get far away from this.

 

               

Riba is a tool to trap people and make them slaves without having to take care of them. In traditional slavery, slaves’ work for master but master also has to take care of his slaves; feed/clothe/shelter them. In riba system money lender lends money to a person, and with interest and compound interest -traps him and makes a person work for him indirectly without having to take care of his food/clothing/shelter. A person works tirelessly and then submits the hard earned money to money lender.

Ibn ‘Abbaas gives a tafsir of the ayah quoted at the beginning of this reminder. He says that on the Day of Judgment, a person who deals with riba will come out of his grave, like the one who is obsessed with the devil, jumping and shaking violently. Then the angels will come to him and give him weapons and tell him to prepare for war, you are going to fight against Allah and His Messenger.

It is a very dangerous sin. It has become very widespread. Reminding ourselves that Allah created us from drop of sperm will help us in being in humility. Remembering that Death is inevitable and will snatch every ease of this life and Reminding ourselves of Paradise and making dua to Allah will help us in keeping away from this filthy and dangerous sin.

Holy Quran 36:77 Does not man see that We have created him from a sperm? Yet he stands up as an open adversary.

Holy Quran 21:35 Every soul is bound to have the taste of death. We are putting all of you to a test by passing you through bad and good conditions, and finally you shall return to Us.

Holy Quran 19:63 Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our Servants who lead a pious life.

Holy Quran 3:85- If anyone is looking for a religion other than Islam, then let it be known that it will not be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

Holy Quran(39:53,54) “Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful”. “Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will) before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped”.