سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 130
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوا۟ ٱلرِّبَوٰٓا۟ أَضْعَـٰفًا مُّضَـٰعَفَةً ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿130﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Eat not Ribâ (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allâh that you may be successful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَأْكُلُوا۟
takulū
eat
ٱلرِّبَوٰٓا۟
l-riba
the usury
أَضْعَـٰفًۭا
aḍʿāfan
doubled
مُّضَـٰعَفَةًۭ ۖ
muḍāʿafatan
multiplied
وَٱتَّقُوا۟
wa-ittaqū
And fear
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تُفْلِحُونَ
tuf'liḥūna
(be) successful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 130) ➊ {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَاْكُلُوا الرِّبٰۤوا:} Perhaps the mention of interest here (in the context of the Battle of Uhud) is because above (in Ayah 122) cowardice in jihad was mentioned, and consuming interest leads to cowardice for two reasons: one, that eating unlawful wealth decreases the grace to obey, and the greatest obedience is jihad; and second, that taking interest is the height of miserliness. It would have been sufficient to take back only what was given, but if someone benefits in the meantime, even that is not left without charge, and a separate compensation is demanded. So, whoever is so miserly with his wealth, how would he ever be willing to give his life? (Mawaddih)
Then, the Ansar had usurious dealings with the Jews, and in Uhud, harm was caused due to the hypocritical Jews, so by declaring it unlawful, those relations were ended.
➋ {اَضْعَافًا مُّضٰعَفَةً:} Some people have tried to prove compound interest as unlawful and simple interest as lawful from this, whereas here the hard-heartedness of the moneylenders of that time is being described, which still exists today. In the age of ignorance, many people used to give usurious loans to others; when the loan term ended, they would say to the debtor, "Repay the loan, or increase the interest." If the loan was not repaid, the term would be extended and the amount of interest increased. In this way, after some time, the amount of interest would become many times greater than the principal, and this interest was both commercial and non-commercial, as the Tabi‘in have clarified under the commentary of this verse. The Qur’an has indicated this horrific form of usurious business with the words {”اَضْعَافًا مُّضٰعَفَةً“}, otherwise, it does not mean that compound interest is unlawful and simple interest is permissible. In Islam, every kind of interest is unlawful; only one form of loan is permissible, as it is said: «وَ اِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوْسُ اَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُوْنَ وَ لَا تُظْلَمُوْنَ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۷۹ ] "And if you repent, then you are entitled to your principal amounts; neither will you wrong nor will you be wronged."
Then, the Ansar had usurious dealings with the Jews, and in Uhud, harm was caused due to the hypocritical Jews, so by declaring it unlawful, those relations were ended.
➋ {اَضْعَافًا مُّضٰعَفَةً:} Some people have tried to prove compound interest as unlawful and simple interest as lawful from this, whereas here the hard-heartedness of the moneylenders of that time is being described, which still exists today. In the age of ignorance, many people used to give usurious loans to others; when the loan term ended, they would say to the debtor, "Repay the loan, or increase the interest." If the loan was not repaid, the term would be extended and the amount of interest increased. In this way, after some time, the amount of interest would become many times greater than the principal, and this interest was both commercial and non-commercial, as the Tabi‘in have clarified under the commentary of this verse. The Qur’an has indicated this horrific form of usurious business with the words {”اَضْعَافًا مُّضٰعَفَةً“}, otherwise, it does not mean that compound interest is unlawful and simple interest is permissible. In Islam, every kind of interest is unlawful; only one form of loan is permissible, as it is said: «وَ اِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوْسُ اَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُوْنَ وَ لَا تُظْلَمُوْنَ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۷۹ ] "And if you repent, then you are entitled to your principal amounts; neither will you wrong nor will you be wronged."
