"A dirham of riba consumed knowingly by a man is worse before Allaah than committing zina thirty-six times.”
(Narrated by Ahmad & Tabaraani, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 3375.)
This Hadith describes how severe it is for a Muslim to consume riba (interest). Riba is emphatically forbidden in Islam. Allaah has condemned the one who does that and has declared war on him, and spoken of his bad end on the Day of Resurrection. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa,’ whereas Allaah has permitted trading and forbidden Ribaa. So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribaa, shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allaah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Ribaa), such are the dwellers of the Fire — they will abide therein. Allaah will destroy Ribaa and will give increase for Sadaqaat (deeds of charity, alms). And Allaah likes not the disbelievers, sinners”
[al-Baqarah 2:275, 276]
The Islamic financial system does not approve of any transaction that includes riba, rather the sharee’ah forbids certain transactions so as to prevent the means that lead to riba. The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it.
May Allaah protect us all from every evil of riba & help us to abolish riba from from our lives.
