Quran Garden

Session 304

Chapter 2

Verse 275

a continuation

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)

             Allah, the All-Wise, set economic relations on three pillars:  First, is the pillar of social solidarity.  Allah wants the needy and the poor to find generosity from their wealthy counterparts.  Ideally, the rich should give for the sake of giving, not under the obligation of social pressure.  Second, is the pillar of –Zakat- almsgiving, an obligation on the rich and a right for the poor.  And lastly is the pillar of a good loan where no interest is involved.  These three pillars, if properly applied, would leave no poverty in a Muslim society.

             Contrast that to a society based on usury.  God says: “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.’” It is interesting to note the order of the words such people use.  They say: ‘Trade is the same as usury.’  Was the main topic of discussion trade, or was it usury? Of course, the main topic was usury.  So logically, they should have said: ‘usury is the same as trade.’  Why the flip flop? We answer that this backward argument is a perfect reflection of their condition.  They are ‘like a person possessed of the devil and demented’ not only in their dealings but in their arguments.  Ibn Masood narrated that our beloved Muhammad cursed both the lender and borrower in usury. 

             The people who deal in interest argue that lending first then collecting interest is just like buying first then selling with profit; so if you prohibit one as unlawful, you should also prohibit the other.  God gives the definitive answer: ‘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.’

             When you receive advice from someone, you should first look if he or she is benefiting from it.  In other words, does the person giving you advice have hidden motives? Is he or she self-serving?  Our Lord is the All-Sufficient.  He does not need anything, nor does He benefit form anything you and I do.  Thus, when you are ‘given advice’ from God, you should accept it and act on it immediately because it is exclusively for your benefit.  Allah created you, and He takes care of His creation.  In fact, the words ‘his Lord’ are translated from the Arabic origin ‘Rabehe.’  ‘Rub’ or ‘Lord’ is the one creates, cares, and nourishes.  In the Arabic language, the father is called the Rub of the family, while the mother is called the Rubat of the home.  The same word ‘Rub’ is the root of the word ‘tarbia’ which means to raise and educate a child. 

Our Lord is our –Rub- the creator, He is the Caretaker and Educator.  He created us from nothing and put the entire universe at our service.  Shouldn’t we be the least bit appreciative and listen to His advice? He says: ‘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.’  Our Lord is the Most-Merciful even in his warning.  He did not issue a retroactive ruling and will not punish those who did not know.  God will only punish those who heard His advice and neglected it. 

If you happen to be dealing with interest and usury, this is your chance to stop and reorganize your financial affairs.  Allah, who knows best, will take care of you.  He says: ‘his affair is Allah’s concern.’  So, if you depend on usury and interest for your livelihood, do not think to yourself: ‘it is too late, I cannot stop now.  I will lose everything.  My family will starve.’  Listen to your Lord’s advice and stop.  He, Almighty, will be in your corner taking care of your affairs.  You will be moving from the material bounties of Allah to the company of Allah.  Still have a doubt? Listen to God’s words:

Do not sell for a small price any pledge made in God’s name: what God has is better for you, if you only knew.  What you have runs out but what God has endures, and We shall certainly reward those who remain steadfast according to the best of their actions. (16:95, 96)

Usury is one of the major sins.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Avoid the seven ruinous sins.” We said: “What are they, O Messenger of God?” He said: “Polytheism, witchcraft, the killing of the soul that God has forbidden except for due cause, devouring usury, devouring the wealth of orphans, and abandoning the armed forces on the day of battle.”

Now let’s take a closer look at the dire warning God gave those who ignore His advice.  God says at the end of the verse: ‘But all who return to it will be the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever.’   This phrase is interesting because it would have been sufficient to say that a believer who deals with interest and usury will be punished in hellfire, but what was the reason behind adding: ‘remaining in it timelessly, forever’?  We answer that this type of punishment is usually reserved for those who are outside the fold of faith.  In other words, a believer dealing with interest will be treated as a non-believer.  This is important to know because there are two types of sinners when it comes to usury:  first, there are believers who, after knowing that usury is prohibited, deal with it anyway.  They acknowledge that usury is wrong, but may say that they deal with interest because of life circumstances.  Such believers will be punished for their sin, but they will not remain in hellfire indefinitely.  Second, there are believers, who after learning God’s teachings, go back and argue that ‘Trade is the same as usury.’  They deal with usury and interest claiming that they are not prohibited.  Such people who reject God’s teachings are no longer believers.  God says about them: ‘But all who return to it will be the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever.’   

Here, I want to take a moment to caution those who deal with interest: “Do not rationalize what you are doing as permissible.  Rather, admit that usury is wrong and that you are weak in stopping yourself.”  In this manner, you are a sinner, but still within the folds of faith. 

To better understand the difference, think about Adam and satan.  Both had disobeyed God, but only satan was expelled from God’s mercy, while Adam was forgiven and granted another chance.  Why? The answer lies in the fundamental difference between the two sins.  The sin of Satan reached the height of disobedience as he denied a direct command from God and argued that it did not apply to him.  He said: ''Never will I prostrate nor would I obey you because I have been created from fire while he has been created from clay.''  Adam, on the other hand, acknowledged his shortcomings and said: ''My Lord, your command is the truth, your word is the truth, and your path is the truth, but I was weak and unable to bring myself to carry your order.  So, my Lord, pardon my weakness."  Thus, God forgave Adam and cursed satan out of His mercy.