Discussion of some issues regarding riba.
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The Shaykh : ... and I plant it, then I harvest it, and I divide the harvest into three parts: one part I return to the land, one part I spend on myself and my family, and one part I give as charity to my neighbors and the poor.
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : He said: That is it. We began as believers in this faith until our Lord - Mighty and Majestic - provides us with a way out. Our way out is the interest-based banks; this is what has happened today, and may Allah protect us from it. We ask Allah - Mighty and Majestic - to inspire the Muslims, first, to understand their religion; because, as He - the Exalted - said:[Al-A'raf 7:187], and second, to act upon their religion; because many of them are described by His saying - the Exalted: [As-Saf 61:2-3]; perhaps Allah will make us among His pious servants.
Do you allow us, Abu Ahmad, to leave?
The questioner : But we ask.
Another questioner : ... the question.
The questioner : The problem is that once I had a merchant in this town - may Allah have mercy on him - who passed away. I was sitting in one of the banks with its manager, who was "Muhammad Tuban"... he passed away... then the merchant "Khalil" came in a panic. I know the merchant "Khalil," a dear friend, perhaps the merchants know him, but it was a long time ago...
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : Yes, ah, he came in a panic, passed by me, and was angry, and said: What interest are you charging me? I told him: Quickly... he was opening a credit line and putting money in as credit. I didn't pay attention to it; because I know him, he is our friend, so he put in his father's money...
The Shaykh : There is no difference between it and the British bank except in name; it may be worse than the British one.
The questioner : No, but...
The Shaykh : Two people, each of whom disobeys Allah - Mighty and Majestic - with one sin; meaning, one - for example - steals, and the other steals. One of them considers theft permissible and says: This theft is allowed. The other admits that this is theft and forbidden, and may Allah accept my repentance. Both are criminals and sinners, but this second one is "double."
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The one who says that this is theft and that it is allowed, his sin is two sins; why? Because the first person's sin is an action that contradicts the Shari'ah in practice, while the second sin contradicts the Shari'ah in thought. And so, apply this to all legal rulings. One person eats riba and says: May Allah accept my repentance. The other says to you: No, there is nothing wrong with it. He will find many interpretations for you; for example, he will say to you: Times have changed, and now it is not possible except this way, and so on; meaning, this one is worse than that one. So the first step in returning to Allah - Mighty and Majestic - is to know the legal ruling. The second step is to believe that this is the truth, with no ambiguity. The third and final step is to apply this ruling as much as he is able to do so.
Today, an Islamic bank is ink on paper. What is an Islamic bank?! You go to buy a car from them or a machine, and they bring it for you from Europe or elsewhere; they tell you: This costs from Europe to here so many thousand dinars. We want a murabahah of five percent, ten percent, which is for six months. I said to him: If I tell him: I cannot manage in six months, I need a year; it doubles!! This is the same riba, this is the same riba. But the Messenger - peace be upon him - said:. What is the meaning of this hadith? The Messenger - peace be upon him - said: Why did he curse the Jews? He said: Because Allah - Mighty and Majestic - forbade them the fats, the fats of the animals whose meat is eaten: camels, cows, sheep. They slaughter them and eat them except for the fat. He - the Exalted - said in the Noble Qur'an: [An-Nisa 4:160], [An-Nisa 4:160]. From these good things is the soft fat, all the grease. The Jew's soul goes after the money that is being lost, and he endured, endured, then they turned and twisted, just as some Muslims do today. What did they do? The Messenger - peace be upon him - said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 4257Sahih (Darussalam) meaning: They took it and put it in large pots and lit a fire underneath it, so it melted. They rendered it, meaning they melted it; meaning they changed its form. So changing the form for the sake of eating, while it is still fat, it remains fat. And so, in a cycle and twist, they make the forbidden money permissible. We ask Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Ha, Abu Ahmad.
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : He said: That is it. We began as believers in this faith until our Lord - Mighty and Majestic - provides us with a way out. Our way out is the interest-based banks; this is what has happened today, and may Allah protect us from it. We ask Allah - Mighty and Majestic - to inspire the Muslims, first, to understand their religion; because, as He - the Exalted - said:
but most of the people do not know."
وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ(2) O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (3) Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ * كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَDo you allow us, Abu Ahmad, to leave?
The questioner : But we ask.
Another questioner : ... the question.
The questioner : The problem is that once I had a merchant in this town - may Allah have mercy on him - who passed away. I was sitting in one of the banks with its manager, who was "Muhammad Tuban"... he passed away... then the merchant "Khalil" came in a panic. I know the merchant "Khalil," a dear friend, perhaps the merchants know him, but it was a long time ago...
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : Yes, ah, he came in a panic, passed by me, and was angry, and said: What interest are you charging me? I told him: Quickly... he was opening a credit line and putting money in as credit. I didn't pay attention to it; because I know him, he is our friend, so he put in his father's money...
The Shaykh : There is no difference between it and the British bank except in name; it may be worse than the British one.
The questioner : No, but...
The Shaykh : Two people, each of whom disobeys Allah - Mighty and Majestic - with one sin; meaning, one - for example - steals, and the other steals. One of them considers theft permissible and says: This theft is allowed. The other admits that this is theft and forbidden, and may Allah accept my repentance. Both are criminals and sinners, but this second one is "double."
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The one who says that this is theft and that it is allowed, his sin is two sins; why? Because the first person's sin is an action that contradicts the Shari'ah in practice, while the second sin contradicts the Shari'ah in thought. And so, apply this to all legal rulings. One person eats riba and says: May Allah accept my repentance. The other says to you: No, there is nothing wrong with it. He will find many interpretations for you; for example, he will say to you: Times have changed, and now it is not possible except this way, and so on; meaning, this one is worse than that one. So the first step in returning to Allah - Mighty and Majestic - is to know the legal ruling. The second step is to believe that this is the truth, with no ambiguity. The third and final step is to apply this ruling as much as he is able to do so.
Today, an Islamic bank is ink on paper. What is an Islamic bank?! You go to buy a car from them or a machine, and they bring it for you from Europe or elsewhere; they tell you: This costs from Europe to here so many thousand dinars. We want a murabahah of five percent, ten percent, which is for six months. I said to him: If I tell him: I cannot manage in six months, I need a year; it doubles!! This is the same riba, this is the same riba. But the Messenger - peace be upon him - said:
Allah cursed the Jews; the fats were forbidden to them, so they rendered them, then sold them and ate their price. And indeed, when Allah forbids the eating of something, He forbids its price.
لعن الله اليهود حُرِّمَت عليهم الشُّحوم فجَمَلُوها ، ثم باعوها وأكلوا أثمانها ، وإن الله إذا حرَّم أكل شيء حرَّم ثمنَهFor wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them
فَبِظُلْمٍ مِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْWe made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them
حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْfor animal fat was forbidden to them, but they rendered it
حُرِّمت عليهم الشحوم فجَمَلُوهاThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Ha, Abu Ahmad.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.