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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب الرباChapters on Usury
بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي التَّشْدِيدِ فِيهِChapter: What has been reported regarding strictness in this matter
Hadith 5962
اُردوEn
عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَأَيْتُ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي رَجُلًا يَسْبَحُ فِي نَهْرٍ وَيُلْقَمُ الْحِجَارَةَ فَسَأَلْتُ مَا هَذَا فَقِيلَ لِي آكِلُ الرِّبَا
Narrated by Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him): The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The night I was taken on the Mi'raj, I saw a man swimming in a river and stones were being thrown into his mouth. I asked: What is this? It was said to me: This is the usurer (one who consumes interest).
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Usury (riba) is forbidden; Allah Ta’ala has condemned it greatly in the Noble Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has strongly denounced it in his statements. Consider three further evidences indicating the severity of usury:
The statement of Allah Ta’ala is: {فَاِنْ لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوْا فَأْذَنُوْا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَرَسُوْلِہٖ۔} (Surah al-Baqarah: 279) … “But if you do not desist (from dealing in usury), then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hanzalah Rahib radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “A single dirham of usury knowingly consumed by a man is more severe in the sight of Allah than thirty-six acts of fornication.” (al-Mu’jam al-Awsat Tabarani: 1/142, Dar Qutni: 295, Sahihah: 1033)
Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib radi Allahu anhu reports that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Usury has seventy-two degrees; the least of them (in sin) is like a man committing fornication with his mother, and the greatest usury is a man violating the honor of his brother.” (al-Mu’jam al-Awsat Tabarani: 1/143/1, Sahihah: 1871)
If one observes the general public and their circumstances, and the dealings of banks and insurance companies, it has become very difficult to understand usury and to avoid it. The greatest greed and avarice is found among the owners of these banks and companies, who have attacked people from all sides to amass their money, and every day they present such attractive names that people, under their guise, think they are doing good deeds, whereas in reality it is a form of usury or gambling. When we spoke with one insurance company, they explicitly tried to justify gambling transactions in light of a decision by Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu, whereas there was not a single clause in common between this matter and the Faruqi court.
Definition of Usury:
Linguistic Definition: Usury is called “riba” in the Arabic language. This word is a verbal noun from the root raba yarbu, which means increase and usury.
Technically, it has two types:
(1) Riba al-Fadl: In buying and selling, when exchanging the same kind of commodity, receiving a greater amount from one side, or, if the amounts are equal, one side is deferred. The next chapter will discuss this type of usury.
Nowadays, in the currency markets, this type of usury is practiced in the buying and selling of gold, and it appears that almost all goldsmiths are usurers, except whom Allah wills. Often, it is seen that on one side the gold is paid in cash and on the other side it is deferred, and there is also a difference in the amount. This is the clearest form of usury. Those who buy gold in exchange for cash also have no allowance to buy on credit in this transaction, because our currency is also a substitute for gold and silver, while gold traders are found giving their customers the facility of credit.
Similarly, in Pakistan, the garlands of currency notes used for the groom at weddings are also a matter worthy of consideration, because a garland containing (500) rupees is sold for about (650, 700) rupees, while apart from the notes, whatever else is attached to it is certainly not worth that much extra. Therefore, it must be said that more money is received in exchange for less, and this too is a usurious transaction.
(2) Riba al-Nasi’ah: Taking a greater compensation for one of two similar interchangeable items, but after a fixed period. For example, if Maimun lends Qasim one thousand rupees for twenty days, according to the Shari’ah, only that amount should be returned, but if he receives more than one thousand in return for the twenty days, this is usury. The usury of those who take loans from banks and those who deposit money in banks is of this type.
Those who consider this type of transaction permissible should be asked: What is the definition of usury that the Shari’ah has declared forbidden, and does any form of it exist in the present age? This is a brief introduction to usury; further clarification will be given in the following chapters.
The statement of Allah Ta’ala is: {فَاِنْ لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوْا فَأْذَنُوْا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَرَسُوْلِہٖ۔} (Surah al-Baqarah: 279) … “But if you do not desist (from dealing in usury), then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hanzalah Rahib radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “A single dirham of usury knowingly consumed by a man is more severe in the sight of Allah than thirty-six acts of fornication.” (al-Mu’jam al-Awsat Tabarani: 1/142, Dar Qutni: 295, Sahihah: 1033)
Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib radi Allahu anhu reports that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Usury has seventy-two degrees; the least of them (in sin) is like a man committing fornication with his mother, and the greatest usury is a man violating the honor of his brother.” (al-Mu’jam al-Awsat Tabarani: 1/143/1, Sahihah: 1871)
If one observes the general public and their circumstances, and the dealings of banks and insurance companies, it has become very difficult to understand usury and to avoid it. The greatest greed and avarice is found among the owners of these banks and companies, who have attacked people from all sides to amass their money, and every day they present such attractive names that people, under their guise, think they are doing good deeds, whereas in reality it is a form of usury or gambling. When we spoke with one insurance company, they explicitly tried to justify gambling transactions in light of a decision by Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu, whereas there was not a single clause in common between this matter and the Faruqi court.
Definition of Usury:
Linguistic Definition: Usury is called “riba” in the Arabic language. This word is a verbal noun from the root raba yarbu, which means increase and usury.
Technically, it has two types:
(1) Riba al-Fadl: In buying and selling, when exchanging the same kind of commodity, receiving a greater amount from one side, or, if the amounts are equal, one side is deferred. The next chapter will discuss this type of usury.
Nowadays, in the currency markets, this type of usury is practiced in the buying and selling of gold, and it appears that almost all goldsmiths are usurers, except whom Allah wills. Often, it is seen that on one side the gold is paid in cash and on the other side it is deferred, and there is also a difference in the amount. This is the clearest form of usury. Those who buy gold in exchange for cash also have no allowance to buy on credit in this transaction, because our currency is also a substitute for gold and silver, while gold traders are found giving their customers the facility of credit.
Similarly, in Pakistan, the garlands of currency notes used for the groom at weddings are also a matter worthy of consideration, because a garland containing (500) rupees is sold for about (650, 700) rupees, while apart from the notes, whatever else is attached to it is certainly not worth that much extra. Therefore, it must be said that more money is received in exchange for less, and this too is a usurious transaction.
(2) Riba al-Nasi’ah: Taking a greater compensation for one of two similar interchangeable items, but after a fixed period. For example, if Maimun lends Qasim one thousand rupees for twenty days, according to the Shari’ah, only that amount should be returned, but if he receives more than one thousand in return for the twenty days, this is usury. The usury of those who take loans from banks and those who deposit money in banks is of this type.
Those who consider this type of transaction permissible should be asked: What is the definition of usury that the Shari’ah has declared forbidden, and does any form of it exist in the present age? This is a brief introduction to usury; further clarification will be given in the following chapters.
