Essential Info
Why We Dont Deal with Interest
This article on the taking and using of interest money is written to advance the better understanding of Islam which is part of the two pronged objective of 'Muslim Poverty Relief'.
Alhamdulillah. All glory and praise is due to Allah. We glorify and praise Him and we ask Him for help and forgiveness. In Allah we seek refuge form the evils of ourselves and from our wrong doings. He whom Allah guides none can misguide and he whom Allah misguides none can guide.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is alone without partners or associates and I bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His slave and messenger.
There are numerous Islamic charities in Britain doing excellent work alleviating poverty and suffering throughout the world. Over the last few years their number has greatly increased. The fact that they have all survived proves that ordinary people like you and me are contributing towards their work. We are doing this by sending our Sadaqah and also the compulsory zakat. It is our - the contributor's - responsibility to calculate the correct amount from our nisab and to ensure that the contribution we make is from a halal source in order to gain acceptance of our donation and subsequently reward from Allah (SWT).
We all know that no good comes from ill-gotten (haram) wealth and to mix halal with haram only contaminates the halal and renders it unacceptable. So whenever we make a donation we should satisfy ourselves that our zakat or Sadaqah is spent in halal way and that it is not mixed with haram money collected from elsewhere.
Interest is haram money so do not take it. Do not give it to Muslims who should not ask for it anyway and if they do remind them of Allah (SWT)'s order. It is everybody's duty to see that this form of haram money does not find itself in the halal section. If it does it will contaminate your halal income.
Allah (SWT) has declared war on those who deal with interest money. In Surah Al-Baqarah: 278-279, Allah (SWT) says "O you who believe fear Allah and give up what remains due to you of interest if you are indeed believers. And if you do not, then be warned of war (against you) by Allah and His Messenger, while if you repent you shall have your capital. Do not do wrong and you shall not be wronged." Clearly dealing with interest is wrong according to our Creator. The Prophet (SAW) re-inforced this message in his sermon at Mount Arafat when he said "Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest); therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn "Abd'al Muttalib (the Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived....."
The punishment for those who disregard this order of Allah (SWT) is also explained by the Prophet (SAW) in his hadith recorded in Bukhari, Muslim and others. Imam Bukhari reported that the Prophet (SAW) had a dream and whilst explaining the relevant part of the dream, he said "....then we came to a red river like blood, I saw a man swimming in it and another on the river bank had gathered many stones. The swimmer started swimming toward the man on the riverbank and when he got to him, he opened his mouth to feed him the stones. Then the Prophet (SAW) said that is the riba (usury/interest) eater." It is narrated by Abu Juhaifa in Bukhari that Prophet has cursed the one who takes riba. Imam At-Tirmithi and other scholars of hadith added to this hadith from another narration: "and its witness and its writer." Dealing in interest is one of the major sins.
It is the duty of every Muslim to resist wrong doings to the best of their ability as the Prophet (SAW) has said in this hadith reported in Muslim: "Whoever sees an undesirable thing, he should change it by his hand. If he does not have the power to do that then he should change it by his tongue. If he does not even have that power then he should regard it as evil in his heart - and this is the weakest form of faith". It is our duty to stop the spread of evil bearing in mind this hadith.
People will wonder how we can avoid dealing with interest when the world economy is based on it. It is important to understand the wider context of global politics. There is concerted effort to demonise Islam and everything it stands for. They want Islam to be modelled along the secular godless society. Some of our leaders either through their naivety or self-interest have accepted the anti-Islamic propaganda that there is urgent need to reform Islam and its institutions. They are vying each other to please their masters by changing Allah's words. Islam is under attack from all directions. To sit at home and do nothing is not an option. We have a duty to enjoin the good and forbid the evil.
As regards interest, we should ask the Banks not to add interest to our accounts - many banks now a days have what they call 'Islamic Accounts' to which we can transfer our money. There is therefore no excuse for any one to handle interest money at all. So InshaAllah one day we will be able to clean the world economy.
If anyone tells you that dealing in interest is allowed by scholars then ask them who gave them the authority to change Allah's words? Those who say interest is allowed have told a lie against Allah and may receive severe punishment unless they repent as Allah (SWT) says in Surah Al-Lail "And (he who) gives the lie to the best - We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Misery; Nor will his wealth profit him when he falls headlong (into the Pit)". So fear the wrath of Allah and do not wage a war against Him and keep away from those who are waging this war. Do not support their charities. And before you part with your money expecting reward from Allah (SWT) ask the right questions if you wish your Ibaadah to be accepted and receive reward from Allah (SWT). Like everything else, in the end Allah knows best.
May Allah (SWT) have mercy on us and guide us all on the right path - the path of those with whom He is pleased. Ameen.
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