THE QUR’ANIC METHOD OF DEALING WITH RIBA
A significant aspect of the
movement from stage to stage, in the process of dealing with riba,
is that while the first and second stages were initiated or promulgated by the Qur’anic
revelation itself the third stage was launched by the Prophet (s), in
the Khutbah al-Wida (sermon at the farewell hajj), which he delivered
from Arafat . It was after that sermon was delivered that Allah the Most High,
revealed the verse announcing the perfection of Islam. The action which he took
in that sermon concerning riba was subsequently confirmed by Allah
the Most High, in the very last revelation of the Qur’an to reach the Prophet (s)
shortly before his death!
On the authority of ahadith
received from both Ibn Abbas (ra) and from Umar (ra) we know that the
last-revelation received by the blessed Prophet (s), shortly before his
death, was the passage in Surah al-Baqarah (Qur’an:- 2:278-281) which dealt
with riba:
Umar bin al-Khattab said:
The last verse to be revealed was on riba, but Allah’s Messenger was
taken without having expounded it to us; so give up not only riba
(usury) but also reebah (whatever raises doubts in the mind about its rightfulness).
(Ibn Majah Darimi)
Oh you who believe! Fear
Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from riba (from now onwards)
if you are indeed believers . . . (up to) And none shall be dealt with unjustly
(Qur’an:- 2:278-289) Ibn Abbas said: This was the last verse revealed to the
Prophet.
(Bukhari)
It appears to us that such a
last revelation, coming after the pronouncement of the perfection of the
revealed religion and the completion of the divine favor, could only be used to
reiterate something which lay at the very heart of the divine guidance.
Alternatively it could be used to direct attention to that part of the divine
guidance in which the faith of the believers would be most vulnerable to a
future attack by enemies of Islam.
The choice of the subject of
riba as the last revelation, the fact that Allah the Most High,
returned to the subject of riba after announcing the perfection
of revealed religion and the fact that He sent the last revelation shortly before
the death of the Prophet (s) - all of this appears to us to
constitute the most dire of all warnings that riba will pose the gravest
of all threats to the faith, freedom and power of the believers. This then,
is the importance of the subject that herein lies the potential for the most
dangerous, destructive and devastating attack on the faith of the believers and
the integrity and power of the Ummah of the prophet (s)!
Why did Allah the Most High,
choose to allow the Prophet (s) to promulgate the third stage of the
process for the eradication of riba? Our understanding is that
this event, which occurred at the very end of the mission of the Prophet (s)
was meant to demonstrate to Muslims, in the most dramatic way possible, that
obedience of the Prophet (s) is equivalent to obedience of Allah the
Most High! And Allah the Most High knows best. Hence in all matters generally,
but in particular, in respect of the subject of riba, the word of
the Prophet (s) is absolutely binding on the believers.
A study of the Qur’anic
treatment of the subject of riba reveals the priority of tazkiyah
(purification of the self) and zikrullah (remembrance of Allah the Most High)
over fikr (contemplation). The heart must be purified before nur
(divine light) can illuminate it and bestow understanding of that which,
otherwise may not be understood. For this reason the word ‘riba’ did not appear, in the
chronological sequence of the Qur’anic revelation, until some 6 - 7 years after
the commencement of revelation of the Qur’an. The first mention of riba
appeared in verse 39 of Surah al-Rum of the Qur’an (chapter 30).
Riba in
the Qur’an, is essentially the lending of money on interest and the attack on riba
about to be launched, was directed towards the realization and preservation of
social and economic justice and stability and the unity and fraternity of
society. The lesson from the divine delay in directly addressing-the subject of
the prohibition of riba in the Qur’anic revelation appears to be riba
as a system of economic (or political) injustice, exploitation and oppression
may not be readily discernible, even to scholars, businessmen and people in
public affairs, and even more so to the masses, unless a prior awakening of the
moral and spiritual consciousness of the individual and the society has been
effected, - unless the individual has first been so purified that the veils
before his eyes are removed. When veils (ghishawa) are removed then the
light of truth (nur) can enter and with that light it would be possible
to see and understand that which otherwise could never be understood.
We now live in that age
described by the Prophet (s) as the age which will witness the greatest
evil from the time of Adam (s) to the last day. The most powerful and
most dangerous attack ever has been launched upon mankind. The release of
ya'jooj and ma'jooj (Gog and Magog) has commenced transcendentally (i.e. in al-ghaib)
and they have been spearheading that attack. Al-Masih al-Dajjal (the
Anti-Christ) has also been released transcendentally and the prevalence of riba
in the world today represents the success of his attack. It is an attack which
is taking place by deception, not readily discernible. The prerequisite for
penetrating that deception of Dajjal is spiritual illumination (baseerah)
which is a gift from Allah the Most High, Without that spiritual illumination
scholarship is confined to the understanding of mere appearances. Musa (s)
was taught a tremendously important lesson by Khidhr (s) in Surah
al-Kahf. Unless one penetrates to the reality of a matter, one’s judgement
can always be mistaken. And reality is spiritual.
Riba is
a form of exploitation and oppression which is sometimes concealed in the
ultimate disguise. It operates with such deception that it may not be readily
discernible, even by those who consider themselves to be experts. And so it was
only after the Muslim community had completed some seven years of struggle in
the cause of Truth, and had experienced that prolonged moral and spiritual
awakening and mobilization, that the first revelation concerning riba
was sent down.
There is a profound lesson
in this for today's Muslims. The lesson is that there will be many secularized
Muslims - educated professionals occupying positions of prestige in
contemporary Muslim society, who will not be able to recognize the evil
presence of riba in the world today. Many of them will argue, as
did Abdullah Yusuf Ali, that bank interest is not riba. Indeed
there will be some who will argue that interest-based banking is the secret of
the economic strength of Europe’s capitalist economy and hence, it’s most magnificent
achievement. In arriving at this understanding such people reveal their total
incapacity to perceive the fact that the modem euro-capitalist economy, which
is based on riba, has been engaged in massive economic
exploitation of all of mankind to the extent that it is literally sucking the
blood of mankind.
The lesson for today’s
Muslims is that it will not be possible for misguided Muslims to perceive the
universal presence of riba in the world today, unless and until
the moral and spiritual consciousness can be penetrated. When veils are removed
then such misguided Muslims will eventually be able to see that which they
otherwise will never be able to see.
The penetration of the moral
and spiritual consciousness is an immensely difficult task to accomplish. It
needs specialized training - intellectual as well as spiritual. It also
requires grace from Allah the Most High, The authentic sufi Shaikh of
old was the true specialist in that field. Wherever we find him in the world
today he still remains the true specialist. Today's institutions of higher
Islamic learning do not provide that spiritual initiation training and
education which can produce such luminaries.
to be continued . . . .
