The Meaning of the Hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd: There is no riba (usury or interest) except in deferment
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Question:
What is the meaning of the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 2178, 2179.
Answer:
Yes, this is the evidence cited by those who permit riba al-fadl (usury of excess in a like-for-like exchange), and they say that riba is only what reached you, whereas riba al-fadl is permissible. We say that the scholars have provided answers regarding this hadith. In reality, this is among the ambiguous (mutashabih) texts. The hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd is authentic; its narration is authentic.
However, it permits riba al-nasi'ah (usury of deferment) by implication.Sahih al-Bukhari 2178, 2179, its implication is that riba al-fadl is valid because it is permissible. Is the subject indicated by the implication of the implication? No, it is not an implication, but we have authentic hadiths that forbid riba al-fadl in the inflated items, such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1584e riba, in another hadith: measuring with a measure and weighing with a weight Sahih Muslim 1588c, so it is riba. This is by the explicit text. The explicit text takes precedence over the implication.
This is an ambiguous hadith, whereas the hadiths forbidding riba al-fadl are clear and decisive (muhkam). The clear and decisive is referred to. The ambiguous is referred to. The clear and decisive. This is the rule of the scholars, the rule of those firmly grounded in knowledge. As for people who follow their desires and people of ignorance, they take the hadith and leave the rest. Why should we take the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd and leave the other hadiths which may be more eloquent and more authentic than it?
What is the meaning of the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Narrated Abu Salih Az-Zaiyat: I heard Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri saying, "The selling of a Dinar for a Dinar, and a Dirham for a Dirham (is permissible)." I said to him, "Ibn `Abbas does not say the same." Abu Sa`id replied, "I asked Ibn `Abbas whether he had heard it from the Prophet (ﷺ) s or seen it in the Holy Book. Ibn `Abbas replied, "I do not claim that, and you know Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) better than I, but Usama informed me that the Prophet had said, 'There is no Riba (in money exchange) except when it is not done from hand to hand (i.e. when there is delay in payment).' "
لا ربا إلا في النسيئةAnswer:
Yes, this is the evidence cited by those who permit riba al-fadl (usury of excess in a like-for-like exchange), and they say that riba is only what reached you, whereas riba al-fadl is permissible. We say that the scholars have provided answers regarding this hadith. In reality, this is among the ambiguous (mutashabih) texts. The hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd is authentic; its narration is authentic.
However, it permits riba al-nasi'ah (usury of deferment) by implication.
Narrated Abu Salih Az-Zaiyat: I heard Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri saying, "The selling of a Dinar for a Dinar, and a Dirham for a Dirham (is permissible)." I said to him, "Ibn `Abbas does not say the same." Abu Sa`id replied, "I asked Ibn `Abbas whether he had heard it from the Prophet (ﷺ) s or seen it in the Holy Book. Ibn `Abbas replied, "I do not claim that, and you know Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) better than I, but Usama informed me that the Prophet had said, 'There is no Riba (in money exchange) except when it is not done from hand to hand (i.e. when there is delay in payment).' "
لاَ رِبًا إِلاَّ فِي النَّسِيئَةِGold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt
الذهب بالذهب، والفضة بالفضة، والبر بالبر، والشعير بالشعير، والتمر بالتمر، والملح بالملحHe who made an addition to it or demanded an addition
فمن زاد أو استزادThis is an ambiguous hadith, whereas the hadiths forbidding riba al-fadl are clear and decisive (muhkam). The clear and decisive is referred to. The ambiguous is referred to. The clear and decisive. This is the rule of the scholars, the rule of those firmly grounded in knowledge. As for people who follow their desires and people of ignorance, they take the hadith and leave the rest. Why should we take the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd and leave the other hadiths which may be more eloquent and more authentic than it?
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 141/76 شرح زاد المستقنع/ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (30:12)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.