Quran Garden

Session 302

Chapter 2

Verse 275

Those who devour interest will not rise but like a person possessed by the devil and demented.  That is because they say, ‘Trade is the same as usury.’ But Allah has permitted trade, and He has forbidden usury. Whoever is given advice by his Lord and then desists, may keep what he received in the past and his affair is Allah’s concern. But all who return to it will be the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever.

(Chapter 2: Verse 275)

             On the Day of Judgement, each group of sinners will be distinguished by its specific sin.  God says:

The sinners will be recognized by their marks and seized by the forelock and their feet. (55:41)

People who have neglected their prayers will have their distinguishing mark, so will those who did not pay their Zakat almsgiving.  What is the mark of those who deal with usury and interest? God answers, “but like a person possessed of the devil and demented.”  So they will appear possessed, frantic, and tormented by the devil. 

Allah wants to present usury to us in a repulsive manner, so he describes the condition of those who deal in usury not only in the hereafter, but also in this world.  Perhaps the word that stands out the most in the verse is “devour.”  Eating is one of the essential needs of life, but “devouring” is something beyond what is needed for sustenance.  So is usury and interest, they are a transgression beyond what is needed for healthy economic life. God says: ‘Those who devour interest will not rise but like a person possessed by the devil and demented.’

The words: ‘satan’ and ‘the devils’ refer to the disobedient Jinn.  The Jinn have believers just like humans have believers, and the Jinn have disbelievers known as the devils who spread corruption just as disbelieving people.  We believe in the devils, not because we can see them, but because God informed us of their existence.  Matters that you can see, hear or touch do not require belief.  You cannot say: “I believe in my shirt,” or “I believe that I am listening to you right now.”  Belief is only in matters of the unseen, such as the angles and the devils. 

God gives us a mental image of the devils.  He says:

This tree grows in the heart of Hell’s blazing Fire, and its fruits are like devils’ heads. (37:64, 65)

             The tree being described is the tree of ‘Zaqqum’ which only exists in hellfire.  So how is that any help? Why would God describe something we cannot see –like devils’ heads- with something else we cannot see –like the Zaqqum tree-? We answer that God used this metaphor so your mind would imagine the ugliest most repulsive thing possible.  In other words, God left it to each one of us to imagine the vilest scene.  Isn’t that exactly how we picture the devil?  If you announced a contest of who could draw the devil, all participants, regardless of their background, would compete in drawing a hideous foul creature.  Each would express ugliness according to his or her personal view.

             This brings us back to the verse.  God says: “Those who devour interest will not rise but like a person possessed by the devil and demented.” To be possessed and demented is to act frantically irrational.  This is because any human who has contact with the devil is harmfully afflicted.  God says:

Indeed some men from the humans would seek the protection of some men from the jinn, thus only adding to their vileness. (72:6)

             As if any contact with a devil would throw the human off balance.  You are probably wondering: How is this all related to usury?  We answer that just as this unnatural contact between a human and a devil creates chaos, so is dealing with usury.  It throws all economic affairs into frantic chaos. 

Allah created us and gave each a talent different from others.  You may be good in math and engineering, while your brother is good at manual work.  Your friend is talented in fixing cars, while his sister is an excellent saleswoman.  I cannot survive without the talents of the many people around me.  This is how the economy thrives.  We trade talents, and we all enjoy the fruits of our work.  Some areas are rich in oil and minerals, while other areas have fertile land and livestock.  Allah created earth to be enjoyed by all.  He says:

He laid out the earth for all living creatures (55:10)

So it is the earth –the entire earth- for all, with no borders, walls, or restrictions.  Borders cause a massive imbalance between demand and supply.  Some people are drowning in resources, while others are starving.

Keep in mind that goods and talents are what directly benefits you, while money cannot.  Money is just a medium of exchange.  Say, for example, that you are very hungry, and you have a pile of Gold.  Does the pile do your hunger any good? It does not.  But if you had a loaf of bread, you would benefit directly.  Likewise, if you had millions in cash and you were dying of thirst in the desert, would your cash offer you any direct benefit? No, but a bottle of water would save your life.  In other words, true benefit and value come from the goods and services that you have, whether food, drink, or clothes; not from money. 

In the past century, humanity made incredible strides in technology and manufacturing.  We enjoy daily comforts that were not available to kings a few decades ago.  Our phones allow us to see and speak to people in other continents.  We can fly; we can wash our clothes, heat our food, and research any topic with the click of a few buttons.  Yet, even in the most advanced economies, people are stressed, and depression and despair are rampant.  There are migrant crises, wars, and famine.  The world seems out of balance, and human affairs are frantic.  But why? We touched earlier on the issues of borders and restriction of movement.  We see many examples today of a developing country full of workers with no work available.  Yet at the same time, another country has an abundance of rich businessmen who are ready to invest but cannot find real opportunities.  Both sides can benefit if they had no borders or restrictions on the movement of money and labor.   

The second reason is money, which is no longer a medium of exchange; it is being treated as the ultimate goal of life.  Usury enriches the rich and plunges the poor deeper into poverty.  Money is transferred from the poor to the rich, not in exchange for goods, services, or talent; rather, it is in exchange for more debt and poverty.   This leads to corruption and the widespread of evil.  God says:

Those who devour interest will not rise but like a person possessed of the devil and demented.  That is because they say, ‘Trade is the same as usury.’ But Allah has permitted trade and He has forbidden usury.

It is fascinating to watch the same countries that exported the interest usury-based banking system to the entire planet resort to zero interest policies when they run into trouble.  This is not done to comply with the Lord’s teachings, but it is done because they see it as the best way to bring the financial life back into balance.