| People
who follow the orders and way of arrangements of the Holy
Qur’an are well aware of the fact that most of the times
the Qur’an joins together two different and opposite
things, presenting a far-reaching effect and suitability between
different verses. Discussing with comparison the heaven with
hell, Muslims with Kuffar, monotheism with polytheism, darkness
with divine light, guidance and directives with deviation
from the right path is a unique order of Holy Qur’an.
Those who study the Qur’an and other religious books
witness these facts in the Holy book and also in their real
life. The combination of these different and opposite things
gives an eloquent description of facts. Moreover, the warnings
do not create hopelessness, and promises of reward do not
create inaction and false hopes.
In Surah-e-Baqra of the Quran discusses both Sadaqa (charity)
and Riba (interest) one after the other under the same order
of Qur’an. The first verses deal with the importance
and supremacy of Sadqa. Immediately after are mentioned the
collective and individual losses caused by Riba, vicious reasoning
of usurers, their mental and psychological state and the announcement
of war against them by Allah and His Messenger. It is clearly
defined that Allah decreases the wealth of one who takes interest
and increases the wealth of one who gives Sadaqah. One who
receives interest thinks that interest increases his wealth
while Sadqa decreases. Many people who see only the apparent
state of interest-takers are caught in their trap but they
don’t know that Allah Almighty says that wealth is increased
by Sadqa and decreased by interest. This reality is far away
from the approach of interest-takers because their wisdom.
When one’s wisdom is crippled then how can he understand
these realities? It may be noted here that there are two types
of wisdom or insight: One that only sees the quick result
of something. Two, that sees the end and ultimate result of
something. We are discussing here the second type of wisdom
which is not enjoyed by those who have a lust for rupees and
dollars. Wherever the Holy Quran addresses the people of wisdom,
it actually means the people having the second type of wisdom.
Decrease in the interest and increase in Sadqaat happen
in various ways:
1) The bank balance and lockers of the interest-takers
is full of wealth but as soon as he meets the end of life,
he sees that his account for the life hereafter is empty.
There is no good deed in his account but there is a pile of
sins. On the other hand, those who believed in Sadaqah and
Khairaat and followed the divine orders during their life
would see that Allah has changed their little amount Sadaqah
into huge volume of good deeds in their account. They earned
millions of good deeds against what they gave in shape of
Sadaqa and Khairaat. This increase and decrease would be visible
on the Last Day.
2) The interest-taker has a lot of money
and wealth but without any blessing. Such wealth gives him
no peace of mind and comfort in the life, but brings about
restlessness, sleepless nights, disobedient wife, stubborn
children, mismanagement in the house and a number of incurable
physical, mental and psychological problems. Since such a
person is Allah’s detested person, other human beings
also hate him in his life.
On the contrary, those who give away part of their earnings
as Sadqaat and Khairaat enjoy Allah’s blessings and
love from other human being. It is claimed and believed that
those who extend Sadqaat and Khairaat are never found poor
and they never experience hard time in their life. Giving
in the way of Allah gives unending luxury and wealth. Such
a person is dear to Allah and human being as well. Hundreds
of thousands of poor people pray for his well-being and long
life.
3) Though, there is always a possibility
or fear of profit and loss in any business, there has never
been an incident that could prove that a person who had his
bread buttered on both sides yesterday, nose-dived and lost
everything. However, it is evident that those who borrowed/lent
money with un-Islamic conditions, lost their wealth forever
and become beggars. Capital earned through interest appears
to be increasing but there is no blessing of Allah in it.
Hazrat Muammar (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) says: “Our
ancestors used to say that interest-taker does not see forty
years of his interest business and experiences losses.”
Actually Sadaqa and Riba are two opposite systems. There is
no similarity in these systems as far as morality and Shari‘ah
are concerned. Sadaqah is a show of kindness, purity and cooperation
while interest is a show of selfishness, corruption and miserliness.
There is never a thought of taking back the thing given in
Sadqa while under interest-based system, one always thinks
of taking back the money along with additional charge.
A person who are in the practice of giving Sadqah and Khairaat
feels for others and in most cases he gives away his own morsel
to the other person. But an interest-taker waits for such
a situation that someone would face hard time and he would
take benefit of it. Countries, which extend loans to the developing
or poor countries facing difficult time due to war or famine,
never miss the opportunity of taking benefit of the plight
of the poor countries. They extend loans with heavy charge
of interest.
Such people are worse than animals. Such countries are never
desirous of pulling the poor or under-developed countries
out of financial crisis but they want to turn the poor into
poorer in order to increase their capital. Such countries
make policies that bring every citizen, man, woman, elderly
person and child under the burden of heavy debt. Regret to
mention, we are witnessing such a situation in our beloved
country. Under the Islamic system of finance the borrower
is given time to repay the loan and the lender never puts
pressure on the borrower, so long as he is not in a position
to repay the loan. Islam directs to write off the loan if
the debtor is not in a position to repay, as long as his financial
state is not changed.
According to Abu Harira (radhiallahu ta‘ala ‘anhu),
Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihe wasallam) said that a Muslim
who helps removes any other Muslim’s problem, Allah
Almighty would remove any of his problem on the Last Day.”
Those who take/give interest would never understand such Ayaat
and Hadiths because their hearts are sealed and they only
see the lust of illegally earned wealth. They always wait
for the bad time so that they could take benefit of people’s
difficulties.
Today when almost the entire world is raising voice against
the interest-based system of economy, it is the duty of our
rulers and governments to come forward and help the oppressed
come out of the curse of interest. The day the Muslims would
implement the Riba-free system, they would get rid of hefty
foreign debts which are a product of the interest system.
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