Reward for benevolence towards debtors, Prohibition of Interest, Interest already accrued to be foregone, Capital to be recovered with respite and lenity.

Al-Baqarah Verses 274 - 281

الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Those who spend their wealth by night1and (by) day, secretly and openly, for them shall be their reward with their Lord, fear shall not be on them nor shall they grieve” (2:274).

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا ۗ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا ۚ فَمَنْ جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَانْتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“Those who swallow interest will not (be able to) stand (in resurrection) except as standeth one whom Satan hath confounded with his touch; this because they say, trade is only like (earning) interest, whereas God hath decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest, wherefore whosoever (after) the admonition hath come unto him from his Lord desists, shall have what hath gone before; and his affair rests with God, and whoever returneth (to it even after the admonition); They are the inmates of the (Hell) fire, therein shall they abide” (2:275).

يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ

“God blotteth out (the gains of) interest and causeth charities to grow; God loveth not any ingrate sinner” (2:276).

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Verily those who believe, and act righteously and establish prayer and disburse away the (Prescribed) poor-rate, they shall have their reward with their Lord, neither shall they have (any) fear nor shall they grieve” (2:277).

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“O’ Ye who believe! take shelter2in God and forego what remaineth (due to you) of the interest if ye are (indeed) believers” (2:278).

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ

“And if ye do it not, then be ye apprised of war from God and His Apostle, and if ye repent (and give up interest) then shall ye have your capital; Deal ye not unjustly (with others) and nor ye be dealt with unjustly” (2:279).

وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ ۚ وَأَنْ تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

“And if (any debtor) be in straitened3circumstances, then let there be respite until (he is in) ease; and that if ye forego it (even the capital) (as charity) it is better for you if ye only knew” (2:280).

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

“And Fear ye the Day4wherein ye shall return unto God; each one shall be measured back (in full) what he earned and they shall not be wronged” (2:281).

Commentary

Verse 274

It is an accepted fact even by the scholars of the Sunni school that this verse was revealed in praise of Ali who offered them only four dirhams (or shs) and gave away in charity - one by night, one in day, one secretly and one openly5. It is reported through Ibraham Ibn Saleh, Yousuf bin Bilal, Muhammad bin Haroon, Muhammad bin Saleh, Abi Saleh and from Ibn Abbas, that the Holy Prophet said: that this verse was revealed in the praise of Ali since he parted with the four dinars he possessed in this world, as said above. Once Ali met the Holy Prophet, the Holy Prophet asked why he parted with whatever he had. Ali replied, “to please God I had nothing more than this and I will be fully satisfied if God accepts it” This verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet.

Verse 275

‘Riba’ literally means an excess or an addition. Here meaning the additional amount collected over and above the capital lent as loan, termed usury, or interest. Usury or interest is strictly forbidden in Islam. It must be remembered by every sincere Muslim that charity and fellow-feeling is one of the essential qualities of the faith. If with the necessary means to help his brother in need, one does not do it, it is a sin. The minimum that is expected of a Muslim to relieve his brother in faith is by a loan with precautions for the repayment of the amount lent without any extra-payment imposed upon the repayment. Taking advantage of the distress of another and availing of the opportunity to create a source of income is fiendish in Islam and strictly forbidden.

The social evils that the business of lending money for interest are too well known to be detailed here. The money-lender becomes miserly and becomes day by day more and more inordinate in the love for hoarding wealth, and gets possessed by selfishness. This quality in any individual or society is diametrically opposed to the very aim of the religion, Islam. One of the primary objects of the faith in God is to establish a true and practical brotherhood of man. The facility and temptation that the usurious system of lending money offers to the extravagant, has ruined innumerable families. Islam wants to strike a death-blow to the system altogether and reduce the easy availability of money. When there is no monetary profit in lending money to anyone, the lending would naturally be affected only in cases in which it should be done, and it can never be but in charity with fellow-feeling. The lender would also be careful to know that it is a case of genuine need and whether the borrower actually deserves the help or not.

There is a clear distinction between trade and usury. In trade the investment is with hope of gain as well with the risk of the loss in the business. Whereas in usury the lender counts only upon gain at the cost of the interest on the part of the borrower. Hence trade stands on a footing quite different from usury. A lender has nothing to concern himself whatsoever whether the business flourishes or fails.

The question arises as to financing trade and the other productive concerns. Islam has no objection to any capitalist financing any trade or any such regular business concern, as a partner with a right both in the profit and the loss of it.

Those who advance an argument in support of usury comparing it with trade, would be resurrected from their graves in a delirious state of insanity. The state of their minds is attributed to the touch of Satan i.e. bewildered.

That which has already been received of usury prior to the declaration of the prohibition need not be paid back, for it would create confusion in business. The prohibition to take effect from the revelation received against act.

As regards the Banking System, essential for the modern business life, it is the leading jurist of the age (the A’lam) to decide on the merits of the business system, whether it is a fixed or agreed dividend of the business profits, or the commission or the interest.

‘Riba’ literally means the growth of or the addition to the same thing6. (A.P.)

Verse 276

‘Muhuq’, blotting out of a thing. Here meaning, taking away of ‘Barakat’ or blessings from the wealth accumulated of usury. Usury is condemned and charity is highly commended.

According to declaration of the Holy Prophet, one who upholds usury as legal is a ‘kafir’ an infidel. And usury has been declared as one’s wedding with one’s own mother. (S.M.S.)

Verse 277

It is to be noted that faith alone has been exclusively mentioned as the requisite merit to be free from dread and agony in the life hereafter. Faith has been associated or has to be followed by deeds of virtue, prayer and charity. This is the ideal of the pure Islamic teachings.

Verse 278

To give up or to forego the balance of interest which may be due at the time of the revelation forbidding usury.

Verse 279

‘Fa’zana’ - Be ye apprised. Be apprised of war with God and His Apostle. Can there be any stronger words and ways of condemning any act and warning people against it?

It has been reported by Amirul-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib that the Holy Prophet cursed the receiver, the giver, the consumer, the writer and witness of usury. And usury is equal to one’s wedding his own mother.

Verse 280

Respite to be given to the debtor until he is able to repay the debt. The poor and helpless ones not to be prosecuted or even in any way harassed. Better still is enjoined to remit at least a part of the indebtedness. The Holy Prophet said: ‘He who gives respite to his debtor or remits a part or the whole of the capital due to him, God will grant him shelter on the day when there shall not be any shelter i.e. (The Day of Judgment). (M.S.)

The Holy Prophet is reported to have also said: -

“Whosoever giveth respite to his debtor, in straitness, the amount due shall be accounted as charity on his part, till it is paid to him.’’ (B.H.)

Once Zarara told the sixth Holy Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq that one of his debtors was contemplating to sell away his house to repay the debt. On this the Holy Imam said: “O’ Zarara! I charge thee in the Holy name of the All-Merciful Lord not to take away the shelter over his head” The Holy Imam repeated this thrice. (B.H.)

Such is the sympathy demanded of a Muslim towards others. While respite and remission, in cases of straitness has been so highly commended by Islam, it is noteworthy to know the warning issued to the debtors who avoid repayment or the debts in spite of sufficient means.

It is reported that once a dead body was brought into the mosque and the Holy Prophet was requested to conduct the Namaze-Janazah i.e., the funeral prayer. The Holy Prophet refused to pray. The people present there requested the Holy Prophet to let them know the reason. The Holy Prophet replied that the man whose dead body was there, in spite of sufficient means did not pay a debt due of him. Abu Qatadah offered to pay away the debt of the man, and actually paid away the amount which was seventeen or eighteen dirhams. Then the Holy Prophet offered the prayers.

According to a declaration of the Holy Prophet one of the worst things with God is a debtor’s dying with debts not repaid and not having left behind anything of his earnings to repay the debts on his behalf.

Verse 281

‘Then shall every soul be paid what it earned.’ This is sufficient encouragement to every doer of good and a sufficiently strong warning to every evil doer for the return shall be whatsoever he earned here by spending or endeavouring in the way of the Lord. The virtuous can rest assured that the good they do, is not wasted but they will find it to their credit. Hence blessed will be those who provide as much as they can for the return is according to the investment here. Similarly, let every doer of evil be warned that whatever evil he does here does not remain here behind him but goes in advance of him to be done to him the same way he has done to others in this life.

But having in view that the arrangement of the verses in the Sura was done in some cases before the revelation or in some cases of the revelation by the order of the Holy Prophet, it would be immaterial as to which verse was revealed earlier or which was later. However taking into consideration the internal evidence of the verses, one should say that the last verse was 5:3, because if any part of the Qur’an had not yet then been revealed, the announcement in 5:3 i.e., the religion had been completed, could not be correct. Similarly the Verse 5:67 either should have been revealed in the early days of the Holy Prophet’s mission as the relative pronoun ‘that which’ could be taken as to refer to all the details of the subsequent teachings of Islam, or it should be taken as to refer to the very matter of great importance the declaration of which would cause the Holy Prophet apprehension. If the statement of the Holy commentators is taken into consideration that it was revealed after the last Haj, however this cannot have been revealed after 5:3, although in the arrangement 5:3 has been earlier. This shows that the divine arrangement was not based on the chronological consideration. (A.P.)

• 1. Ali Ibn Abi Talib used to approach the needy and the poor, night and day and provided them with the necessities, So did the other Imams of the Ahl Al-Bayt.
• 2. Ar. ‘Taqwa’ Piety-Taking Shelter in God by guarding against every evil.
• 3. Note what this verse commends
• 4. The Day of Judgement Every man and woman to be mindful of the day in the life. Refer to Verse . 3:30.
• 5. Vide D.M.K.
• 6. Vide 22:5 on how the Verbe “raib” is used.