Explanation of the Book of Sales-15

The Shaykh : Then he said: "And from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:

Usury has seventy-three categories, the least one in sin is as that of a man who marries (has sexual relations with) his mother, and the very essence of usury is the (violation of the) honor of a Muslim man.

الربا ثلاثة وسبعون باباً ، أيسرها : مثل أن ينكح الرجل أمه ، وإنَّ أربى الربا عرض الرجل المسلم

Bulugh al-Maram 7:64

Ibn Majah narrated it in abbreviated form, and al-Hakim narrated it in full and graded it as authentic":
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : Perhaps we should first speak about this hadith: There is no doubt that there is something anomalous in its text, and that is because consuming wealth through usury or interest is greater than consuming honor, except if the honor is consumed through false accusation of adultery; if the honor is consumed through false accusation of adultery, then yes.
Second: And because in some of the wordings of this hadith, indeed in the wording mentioned by the author: , the least of the doors is, for example, a man marrying his mother, and among the least of the doors is, for example, selling a good sa' for two bad sa' that are equal to it in value; this is among the least of usury or interest, and yet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and this is a great condemnation regarding the least of usury or interest, so such a text leaves something in the heart, and that is because of the greatness of the punishment in a matter where it appears to a person that what is used as an example is more severe and greater than the thing being described, so Allah knows best, but the chain of the hadith is not problematic.
We now return to its explanation: The door: means the type and the genus, and from this is the saying of some scholars: "Nothing authentic has come in this door", meaning: in this type of issues of knowledge, or in this genus, or in this issue, or something similar to that.
So it is seventy-three doors; what are these doors? The doors, and Allah knows best, are an allusion to forms that contain issues, and a student of knowledge can reflect on these and find them, because since we say that usury or interest means increase, it is not necessary that it be the sale of gold for gold with difference only, but rather the sale of gold for gold with difference and immediate possession, the sale of gold for gold with difference and delay, the sale of gold for gold with equality and delay, the sale of gold for gold with an excess, and adding dirhams to the lesser amount; how many forms is this? These are several forms in the sale of gold, and it is possible to make other forms in the sale of silver as well, and usury or interest in loans may come, "which is a loan that brings benefit", so the important thing is that a student of knowledge can reflect on these doors and find the number indicated in this hadith.
But he says: : And it is known that a man marrying his mother is detested by the Shari'ah, by reason, and by custom; all people detest it, and none deemed it permissible except a group from the lowest of Allah's servants, and they are the Zoroastrians; the Zoroastrians deemed it permissible for a man to marry his mahram, I seek refuge in Allah, so he marries his mother, his sister, and his daughter, yes, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used the mother as an example because it is known that the one who marries is superior to the one who is married, is that not so? So the one who marries is higher and the one who is married is lower, and this implies that the man is elevated above his mother, and that is more detestable than being elevated above his daughter, because the mother has a share of respect that the daughter does not have.
And his saying: Look: , : So a man marrying his mother is lighter than the honor of a Muslim.
The student: How is this, it is strange.

The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: This is very strange.

The Shaykh : I say: This is the implication of the hadith: that the honor of a man is greater than a man marrying his mother, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that the honor of a man is the greatest of usury or interest, meaning: the highest of it, and a man marrying his mother is the least of it, and this implies that the honor of a man is greater than a man marrying his mother, and this is what leaves something in the heart regarding this hadith and concern about its authenticity, because it is strange for such a thing to have come from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so Allah knows best.
But it can be directed and said: that the meaning of does not mean that the greatest of the forbidden usury or interest is the greatest of usury or interest in terms of increase, because if a person persists in the honor of a Muslim, and I seek refuge in Allah, he begins to increase, so this would be from the category of linguistic usury or interest, meaning that whoever indulges in the honors of people increases until the usury or interest accumulates upon him, and this would be the greatest of usury or interest in terms of increase and quantity, that a man persists, as in the other wording: : meaning that it is not like wealth; wealth may not obtain usury or interest if one desires it, but what is the matter? It happens; a person can fill the world with talk, and if a person is afflicted with this matter—may Allah keep us safe—meaning: by eating the flesh of people, he increases, and he becomes one who does not feel at ease or find relief except when he eats the corpses of the sons of Adam—I seek refuge in Allah—it is possible that this is the direction of the hadith, that this is the direction of the hadith if it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Allah knows best, yes.