Explaining the Danger of Riba

The Shaykh : The one who commits zina and the one who consumes riba—I do not say he is better; I say his evil is less than the one who deems the act of making haram things halal permissible, and less than the one who consumes riba while labeling it as riba. You are looking at both images; I am speaking about both negatively and positively. That is, the one who consumes riba and admits it is riba, his evil is less than the one who consumes riba and paints it with the color of legitimacy. Therefore, the precise scholars of knowledge said: "The ill omen of the innovator, the ill omen of the innovator who commits a bid'ah (religious innovation), and his danger is greater than the one who commits a sin." Why? Because the one who commits a sin knows his state is that he is disobeying his Lord, and perhaps one day he will repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, because he knows what he is doing. But the one who consumes riba and has painted it with the color of legitimacy, it does not cross his mind that he will repent. Therefore, the one who consumes riba and knows it is riba, it is possible that one day he will repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, as He said: But as long as the person is concealing from himself that this is not riba, his tongue of reality says, "Lord, increase me, Lord, increase me," so it is not hoped that he will repent. Likewise, the innovator whose evil deed has been made attractive to him, he cannot repent to his Lord, but rather he says, "Increase me, increase me." But the one who knows that this matter is munkar (what is wrong) and this worship is an innovation in the religion with no basis for it, and yet he does this, it is hoped that he will repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, because he knows that what he is doing is not prescribed. This is a type of deception regarding the rulings of the religion, and its dangers are very severe and great in the Muslim community. This is from the work of the Jews. Therefore, we must be cautious in our transactions today so that we do not fall into riba, because those who consume riba, by the text of the Noble Qur'an, And it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: And finally, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, meaning: And this is observed in many of the usurers who, on every occasion, either declare bankruptcy in their wealth or put an end to their lives by killing themselves. The consequence of riba is diminishment. Therefore, we ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic to inspire us with our taqwa (mindfulness of Allah). We cannot be mindful of our Lord unless we know the Shari'ah of our Lord that came to us through our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and then we adhere to it. Otherwise, the warning of His saying, the Exalted, will be poured upon us: And the warning of the athar (report) that came from some of the Companions: "Woe to the ignorant person once, and woe to the scholar seven times." And we ask Allah to teach us what benefits us.

Another questioner : Our Shaykh, if you please.

The Shaykh : And to inspire us to act upon what He has taught us.

The questioner : Approximately, completing our first question.

The Shaykh : Please.