Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 279

The Necessity of Taqwa and Avoiding Riba

Allah commands His believing servants to fear Him and warns them against what would bring them closer to His anger and drive them away from His pleasure. Allah said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah) meaning, fear Him and remember that He is watching all that you do.

وَذَرُواْ مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ الرِّبَواْ

(And give up what remains of Riba) meaning, abandon the Riba that people still owe you upon hearing this warning,

إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

(if you indeed have been believers) believing in the trade that He allowed you and the prohibition of Riba. Zayd bin Aslam, Ibn Jurayj, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi said that this Ayah was revealed about Bani `Amr bin `Umayr, a sub-tribe of Thaqif, and Bani Al-Mughirah, from the tribe of Bani Makhzum, between whom were outstanding transactions of Riba leftover from time of Jahiliyyah. When Islam came and both tribes became Muslims, Thaqif required Bani Al-Mughirah to pay the Riba of that transaction, but Bani Al-Mughirah said, "We do not pay Riba in Islam." `Attab bin Usayd, the Prophet's deputy on Makkah, wrote to the Messenger of Allah about this matter. This Ayah was then revealed and the Messenger of Allah conveyed it to `Attab,

After that, in the fifth verse (279), severe warning has been given to those who act contrary to this injunction. They are told if they do not abandon ربا riba, they must face a declaration of war from Allah Almighty and His Messenger. So severe is this warning that any other warning of such severity does not appear anywhere in the Qur'an in relation to any other sin, no matter how great, except kufr (disbelief), of course. The verse then closes with the words: وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُؤسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ that is, 'if you repent and resolve to leave off the remaining amount of ربا riba in future, you will get your principal. Neither will you be able to do injustice to anyone by extracting more than your principal, nor will anyone be able to do injustice to you by decreasing or delaying the return of your principal.' Here the receipt of the principal has been conditioned by saying that you repent, and resolve that you will abandon ربا riba in future, and only then, you shall get your principal.

Evidently this indicates if repentance ( توبہ Taubah) was not done by resolving to give up ربا riba, receiving the principal will no more be in order. Here are the related details. Take the case of a person who just does not believe that ربا riba could be حرام haram and therefore, he does not repent and resolve that he will have nothing to do with ربا riba anymore - then this person goes out of the fold of Islam and becomes an apostate (: مرتد murtadd). The injunction governing an apostate is that his belongings go out of his possession. As a consequence, that which he has earned during the period he was a Muslim, goes to his Muslim inheritors, and that which he earns after involvement with کفر kufr is deposited in the Baytul-Mal (بیت المال : the Exchequer of an Islamic State). Therefore, should his non-repentance be because he considers ربا riba to be حلال halal , he will not be entitled to receive even his principal. And if he does not go to the limit of considering ربا riba as حلال halal but, nevertheless, in actual practice, does not stop getting involved with it and, on top of that, gangs up with his kind and stands in confrontation with the Islamic government, he then is a rebel. His belongings too, are confiscated and placed as trust in the Baytul-Mal بیت المال ، so that it could be given back to him when he repents. Perhaps, it is to point out to such details that it was said in the form of a condition وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُ‌ءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ which implies that, if you do not repent, even your principal will be held back.

Man has not been sent into this world to hoard wealth. All the good things of this life are meant for the next world. Man has been sent into this world so that it may be judged whether or not he has developed those qualities that would qualify him to inherit the world of Paradise in the Hereafter. Those adjudged fit to dwell in Paradise will be separated from the unfit, and the latter will be consigned to hell. Practicing charity (sadaqah) means giving one’s wealth to the needy for the sake of God, while engaging in usury means giving one’s wealth in order to exploit others. Sadaqah is an indication of the fact that man wants to see the massive array of God’s blessings in the next world, whereas usury is indicative of the fact that he wants to amass fortunes in this world itself. The alms-giver and the usurer are two different types of individuals. It is not possible that they will both have the same fate in the Hereafter. Only those find the world who have worked hard for it; similarly, only those will find the Hereafter who have sacrificed their wealth in order to receive God’s blessings in the Hereafter.