Involvement with interest (Ribā) constitutes a severe transgression in the Islamic faith, drawing the wrath of Allāh Ta’ālā (God, the Most High). The Holy Qur’ān explicitly and unequivocally forbids this practice, warning believers against its consumption and participation.
Qur’ānic Injunction and Declaration of War
Allāh Ta’ālā addresses the believers, emphasizing piety and the immediate abandonment of any remaining interest, underscoring the gravity of the matter with a stark consequence for non-compliance.
The Qur’ān states:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَذَرُوا۟ مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَوٰٓا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا۟ فَأْذَنُوا۟ بِحَرْبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ
O you who believe, fear Allāh and give up what still remains of ribā, if you are believers. But if you do not (give up), then listen to the declaration of war from Allāh and His Messenger. However, if you repent, yours is your principle. Neither wrong, nor be wronged. (2:278-279)
This powerful declaration in the verse (2:279) signifies the extreme detestation of Ribā in the Divine Law (Sharī‘ah). It elevates the non-abandonment of interest to a hostile act, equating it with an open war against Allāh and His Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam).
The verse also mercifully offers the path of repentance (Tawbah): if one repents, they are entitled only to their principal sum (rū’ūs amwālikum), ensuring a just outcome where the creditor does not wrong (taz̧limūn) the debtor by taking excess, nor is the creditor wronged (tuz̧lamūn) by losing their original capital.
Prophetic Condemnation and Universal Curse
The prohibition of interest is further reinforced through the teachings and explicit curse of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). Interest is so highly detested in the Sharī‘ah that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) did not limit his condemnation to the main parties but extended it to all individuals facilitating the transaction.
It is narrated in a Hadīth (Prophetic Tradition):
جابر قال لعن رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهديه وقال هم سواء ا – صحيح مسلم
Jābir (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) narrates that Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) cursed the one who receives interest (ākil al-ribā), and the one who lends it (mu’kiluhu), and the one who writes the transaction (kātibuhu), and those who are witness to it (shāhidayhi). He said, “They are all the same.” (Sāhih Muslim)
The crucial phrase, “They are all the same” (hum sawā’), underscores that responsibility and sin are shared equally by everyone involved—the lender, the borrower, the scribe, and the witnesses. This serves as a potent deterrent against participation in or documentation of interest-bearing contracts.
The Lawfulness of Loans
Based on these fundamental principles, it is categorically unlawful (harām) to be involved in interest-bearing loans. In contrast, loans that are completely free from interest (Qard Hasana, or beautiful/good loan) are lawful (halāl) and, in fact, encouraged as acts of charity and mutual assistance within the community. The distinction lies between financial transactions intended for unearned profit (Ribā) and those intended solely for benevolent aid (Qard Hasana).