- Interpretation Of Quran / The long version
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- (002) Al Bakara
Allah’s address to people in general and to the believers
Believers: this is the ninety-one lesson from the lessons of Surah Al-Baqarah, and this is the verse number two hundred and eighty-two, which is the debt verse. It is the longest verse in the Holy Quran and is prefaced by the saying of Allah Almighty:"O you who believe!"
At first Allah Almighty addresses people in general by religious dogmas:
"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you"
Whereas He addresses believers by the verdicts of religion, so when Allah Almighty says:
"O you who believe!"
That means: O you who believe in Me, in My Existence, in My Oneness, and in My Perfection. O you who believe that I am the Creator of this universe, his Lord and his Impeller. O you who believe in My Knowledge, in My Ability, in My Wisdom and in My Strength, do this and do not do that. So, Allah Almighty addresses believers in ninety-eight verses, and He has not addressed the infidels in any verse, except in one verse about the Last Day:
"O you who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Make no excuses this Day!"
The goodly loan and the usurious one.
Each verse that is addressed to the believers
"O you who believe!"
It means: O you who believe in Me; in My knowledge and in My wisdom. O you who believe that I am the Creator, the Owner of power and the Firm you must carry out this command. So Allah Almighty addresses people in general by the basics of religion, and addresses believers particularly by the branches of the religion, and this verse is one of the branches.But why did this verse come after those of usury (Riba)? I mentioned to you earlier that usury is based on the fact that money generates money. If that happens then money will accumulate in few hands and many people will be deprived of it. This class difference between the rich and the poor is behind all revolutions, all deviations and all problems that afflict humanity. The basic principle is that money must be circulated among people. So when money produces money it will accumulate in few hands and too many people will be deprived of it. In fact, usury increases unemployment, raises prices, leads to the accumulation of money in few hands, and it is behind all deviations, all problems, and all revolutions.
The alternative to usury, which is a usurious and a paid loan, is the goodly loan (this is a loan with no interest). Problems arise when you compare between a goodly loan and usury-based one. Usury loan produces more profits according to calculators and when you draw that comparison you will find that usury loan earns more money according to mathematical calculations than the goodly loan. However, that comparison must not be between a loan and another loan, but between the wrath of Allah and His pleasure, between the limited present life, and the eternal hereafter and between the eternal bliss and the fleeting temporary pleasures. In fact our Lord Almighty makes the goodly loan a righteous deed that we perform for the sake of Allah, moreover:
"Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, alms, etc.)"
There is a reward in this worldly existence and a delayed reward in the Hereafter. Goodly loan grows as if it is a charity, while usury-based loan will destroy properties, as if it is money of scarcity.Whoever desires the hereafter prefers goodly loan to usury
Allah Almighty says:
"O you who believe!"
So, the alternative to usury is the goodly loan. Now let us take a thoughtful pause: Sometimes a seller helps a buyer by making the sale in installments without interest. And sometimes a buyer helps a seller by the Salam selling: for example, if someone has a flock of sheep, in times of drought, and he does not have money to buy food for the sheep. Then someone comes and agree to buy the wool of this sheep after a while (six months or a year later), and pays the price of this wool in advance. This is the Salam selling. The Salam selling is a buyer helping a seller. And installments payment without interest is the seller helping the buyer, both of which are good deeds. Your real profit is in the Hereafter, and whoever desires the Hereafter (wishes to enter Paradise) prefers the good loan and Salam selling (to usury). But whoever seeks the worldly life prefers interest-based loan and interest-based sales.
So, Allah Almighty forbids usury. He considers it the origin of economic deterioration, where wealth accumulated in few hands. He deems it an ever-present danger and threatens who deals with it by a war from Allah and His Messenger. No sin at all Allah has threatened to wage a war against whoever commits it except the sin of usury:
"Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, alms, etc.)"
That is because money is the lifeblood of existence and it must be in the hands of all people according to Allah's instructions. All people must be in affluence, must live in comfortable houses, eat nutritious food, raise their children, and treat their patients. However, when the usurious earning replaces the legal one, and when money is accumulated in few hands, then endless troubles start. Islam is not responsible for the thousands of problems that emerge due to not applying its rules. What do the enemies of Islam do? They attribute the problems that cropped up, which in realty due to not applying Islamic rules, to Islam itself. And they criticize Islam itself. For example: a person said: "I do not care about engineers, he built a house without the knowledge of engineering, he put a small amount of cement, and little iron, then the house collapsed or inclined, after that he asked the engineers to fix the problem. No, the engineer will not be satisfied till he destroys the building to rebuild it again on a scientific basis. So whenever we find a problem resulting from the violation of religion we attribute it to Islam with cunning, malice and rancor, then we want to end this matter.
Money is the lifeblood of existence.
Dear Brother, money is the lifeblood of existence:
"And give not unto the foolish your property which Allah has made a means of support for you"
"A means of support to you" means that life is founded on money, in fact, money is subjected to many conditions in relation to its earnings and spending. If money generates money then this is a usurious case, on the other hand, when money comes from business then this is a legal case. When money comes from business, it is distributed among the hands of all people. I have mentioned this a lot in a previous lesson.
Right after you launch an agricultural, industrial or commercial enterprise, you must employ thousands of people directly or indirectly. The capital is spent and is distributed as costs for many people, this capital money is distributed. Whereas as soon as you put money in a bank, take profit for it, do not employ anyone, and your profits are guaranteed, this method does not please Allah Almighty. Whoever says: This bank carries out industrial enterprises!! We answer him: Why not the bank takes people's money legally, and invests it in excellent productive investments, and distributes its profits to the depositors? In this way the bank is implementing Islamic laws, there is no problem. So if the people who are responsible for financial matters distribute the profits of these projects between the depositors, it becomes a completely legal matter, but this does not happen and when some banks are described as an Islamic ones this saying is purely theoretical and it bears no relation to reality.
So the alternative is: buying, selling, and the goodly loan, i.e. to earn money by buying and selling or through business. In fact, doing good deeds is not rewarded (in this worldly life); instead, Allah Almighty postpones your reward to the Hereafter. So the believer hopes for the mercy of Allah. Instead of arranging usurious loan he arranges a goodly loan. He does not compare between a loan and another, between the usurious and non usurious ones, but between the worldly life and the Hereafter, between the wrath of Allah and His pleasure, and between the low-leveled evanescent pleasures and a Paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth.
"O you who believe!"
Debt is a fundamental need in social relationships
I wish every one of us when he read the saying of Allah Almighty: "O you who believe!" feels that he is addressed by Allah Almighty; that is to say: O you who believe in Me, in My Wisdom, in My Knowledge, in My Mercy and in My Perfection, this is your way of life.
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt"
Keep it in your mind that the word (when) signifies that something will actually happen, while the word (if) signifies that something may happen, Allah Almighty says:
"When comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah)"
That means it must come, this is the way of Allah in the universe, it must come sooner or later, while:
"O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it"
It may happen or not, now here:
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt"
This means that debt is a basic need in social relationships.
Those who don’t pay loans back prevent good deeds:
Allah Almighty says:
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt"
That means you lend someone and he lends you. You help and support each other, because Allah Almighty obliged us to eat and drink, our bodies live on food and drink, we are in need of them and we need money to get them. We have to work, and this work needs to be within a group. When you master a profession you still in need for many other professions, therefore we must live in a society. For example, when you buy a loaf of bread, a hundred thousand people have contributed in making this bread. Starting from planting wheat to growing, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, drying, grinding, and to baking the bread. You may buy bread, buy a T-shirt, you may need someone to treat you, or to teach your son. You need to eat and drink, you need to work and to be in a group. You are being tested while you are within a group: either you tell the truth or lie, either you be sincere or you betray, either you stand firm (on Allah's order) or you deviate from it, either you be merciful or hard-hearted, and either you give or take (either to play an active part or to be confined to passive role). Debt is an essential part of our relationship.
Who prevents the small kindnesses? He is whoever asks for a debt and never pays it back. Nowadays people reject debt (refuse to lend sh3er). You find someone asking you for debt with great kindness and with exaggerated politeness; however, when he takes the money he neither pays attention to you, nor does he give you his greeting, nor does he apologize. Whomever borrows something and never pays it back is preventing small kindnesses. It was narrated in some books that a man was riding a horse in the desert in the blistering heat. Under the scorching sun he saw a man walking barefoot on the burning desert sands. He felt pity for him and invited him to ride the horse. He did not know that this man was a horse thief. As soon as the thief rode the horse he pushed its owner, threw him down and run fast paying no attention to anyone. The horse owner shouted to him: O you, I have granted you this horse, and I will not demand it (from you) after this day and do not tell anyone what just happened because generosity may go away, and if it does, the most beautiful thing in the desert will vanish.
The good loan is the absolute good deed
That is because when people lend sh3er and never have their money back they reject the debt (they refuse to lend sh3er again). Another similar example: investing someone’s money, because the need for investing money is an extremely basic one. The money of an orphan, widow, old man or a retired employee can be invested. So there are many examples of people who are in dire need for investing their funds. With regard to those people who collected other’s money to invest it while in fact they stole it. What did they do? They prevented good deeds, ignored the religion, and strengthened the usury bank. They are the money collectors who collect it then took it. So when you knowingly commit a mistake in a religious matter you are a criminal in the eyes of the religion and society.
Allah Almighty made the debt a basis in social relations. Humans are in need of money, they may not be poor, but they may have an emergency (the reason for asking a debt). So whoever does not pay the debt back is preventing small kindnesses, Jabir narrated that:
((a Man died so we washed his corpse, embalmed him with scent, and shrouded him then we took him to the Messenger peace be upon him to pray for him, we said: will you pray for him? He took a light steps then he said: "did he owe debt to anyone?"We said: yes, two Dinars, so the Messenger went away, after that Abu Qatada guaranteed the payment, so we went back to the Messenger and Abu Qatada said: I will be responsible for the two Dinars, then the Messenger peace be upon him said:" the debtor bears responsibility for them (the two Dinars) and the dead is acquitted of them", he said: Yes. The Messenger prayed for him, the following day he asked Abu Qatada:" What happened with the two Dinars?" he said: he had just died yesterday. He returned to him the next day and said: "I have paid them back. The Messenger peace be upon him said: now his skin cooled down))
When did his skin cooled down? It did not happen due to the guarantee of the debt, but after the payment is made. But what do you say about a man who presented to Allah the absolutely most precious thing in his possessions; his soul. That man was martyred in the battlefield to exalt the word of Allah. Is there any work on the surface of the earth from Adam until the Day of Resurrection greater than presenting the most valuable thing you own for the sake of Allah?, however, the martyr is forgiven for everything except debt; debt is unforgivable due to the fact that human rights is based on demanding (you have to pay that debt or ask for forgiveness from the one who lend you the money), while the rights of Allah is based on forgiveness.
It is the debt which solves the problems of society not the usury-based loan. Goodly loan is a substitute for usurious one. Allah Almighty considers every good deed a good loan, He says:
"Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times?"
If you feed a cat, this act is a goodly loan to Allah, if you help a poor, assist a widow, foster an orphan, feed the hungry, guide the lost and helping a woman carrying her heavy burdens, all these deeds are a loan to Allah Almighty. Moreover the goodly loan is the absolute good deed, so debt solves the problems of society but people reject debt because the debtor asks for it with the highest degree of kindness, but when you demand him to pay it back, he will treat you with hostility. By Allah, there are hundreds or even thousands of stories about debts that were lent twenty-five years, thirty years, or ten years ago, and there is no hope that it will be paid back. You offered that loan with noble true intention, however the person who received the loan becomes proud and procrastinator till you fall into despair of him.
Real comparison is between the worldly life and the hereafter.
The goodly loan is a substitute for the usurious one. According to mathematical calculation the usurious loan receives more interest, but in the scales of the Qur'an (according to the Quranic estimation):
"Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, alms, etc.)"
So the comparison is not made between a gaining usurious loan and a losing goodly one, instead, it is made between the worldly existence and the Hereafter. And is made between the Wrath of Allah and His Pleasure.
"O you who believe! When you contract"
The word: (contract) bears the meaning of participation. If a person asks you for a loan, and you feel his weakness in front of you, you say to him: With pleasure! Really, when I am in need of money I will ask you for a loan too, this raises his spirits. In fact life requires cooperation, giving and to taking, i.e. you lend me and I lend you, so the phrase (when you contract ) bears the meaning of a participation verb.
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt"
Scholars have a precise definition of debt which is: every transaction in which one of the two substitutes is in cash, while the other is on credit, so there are two substitutions: one of which is in cash, while the other is credit.
Honorability and accuracy are main attributes for a Muslim
Dear brother
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down."
We are ordered to write so that we will not forget, and are ordered to get witnesses so that we will not be denied. Because there is a possibility of forgetting or denial. So you write in order not to forget, and get witness in order not to be denied. Write it down means: to register the debt, its amount and its fixed period. And call witness for the debt. Write so that you will not forget, and get witness in order not to be denied.
"Let a scribe write it down in justice between you."
The preposition (in) is related to the verb (write down) which means to write without increase or decrease. And the preposition (in) is related to the scribe, which means he should be a just writer.
And you know, brother, human has two key attributes; which are accuracy and honorability. Accuracy is a mental status, while honorability is a psychological one. And Muslim does not enjoy his rights unless he is accurate and pious. In fact I have mentioned moral integrity today in the sermon:
((whoever deals with sh3er without oppressing them, speaks with them and never tells a lie, and promises them and never breaks his promises, has absolute generosity, his moral integrity appears, you must make friends with him, and it is not allowed to speak against him in his absence.))
This is honorability. When someone treats sh3er unfairly, when he tells lies to them, and when he breaks his promises then he loses his moral integrity. In fact, there are things that do not cause the losing of honorability but harms it: eating one bite of forbidden food harms moral integrity. For example: if someone tasted one bite, which is no more than a quarter ounce, of food, then asked the seller: who much is the kilo of these food? Then he did not buy it, eating morsel of forbidden food injures honorability. And also giving less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of sh3er) even by one date harms the moral integrity. Here are more examples: walks barefoot, urinates in the road, gives free rein to his horse; i.e. rides it fast or in high speed, leads dreadful beast, promenades on the way to satisfy his lust by the beauties of women, eats at sidewalk, makes friends with bad guys, shouts loudly while being at his home, speaks about women and about their body shapes, their skin colors, their length, and their nature, and is fond of that talk, his moral integrity is harmed. So honorability and accuracy are two essential qualities in a Muslim, accuracy is a mental property while honorability is a psychological one.Allah Almighty says:
"Let a scribe write it down in justice between you."
The writer must be just and write fairly. The preposition (in) is related to the act of writing (he must write fairly) and is also related to the scribe (he must be fair).
"Let not the scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so let him write. Let him (the debtor) who incurs the liability dictate"
The one who dictates to the scribe must be the person who is borrowing the money.
"And he must fear Allah, his Lord, and diminish not anything of what he owes"
The fair scribe writes without an increase or a decrease.
"Let not the scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him"
If the scribe is called to write he should respond. And if the witness is asked to testify he should. These are religious duties.
The scribe should not refuse to write and the witness should not refuse to testify:
However, Allah Almighty says after a while:
"Let neither scribe nor witness suffer any harm"
If a man has a job and you ask him to offer his testimony at a remote location, you must give him compensation (for his daily salary). The scribe must not refuse to write and the witness must not refuse to testify. The other party should not hurt a scribe or a witness.
"so let him write. Let him (the debtor) who incurs the liability dictate, and he must fear Allah, his Lord, and diminish not anything of what he owes. But if the debtor is of poor understanding, or weak, or is unable himself to dictate,"
The person who has poor understanding is someone who: is mentally challenged, the young child, someone who is unable to speak intelligibly or the clumsy. So, if there are health issues or physical issues which hinder the ability to dictate, then Allah Almighty says:
"then let his guardian dictate in justice"
The guardian of that person dictates instead of the person himself.
"And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses"
This is the statement of the Creator of the universe. There are some people who object to this verdict because of ignorance and a lack of awareness.
Human feels assured by writing
I was informed that there is a careful scientific research about woman's and man's testimonies. I do not remember the details of this research now. If Allah wills, when I find that research I will present it to you. Woman has a private nature; she is far superior in a field, and has little success in another, and so is man. Thus, they complete each other; man accomplishes his mission outside home, he needs a will of recognition, willpower, a strong personality, perceptive insight, resoluteness, and knowledge. On the other hand, woman raises her children and cares for her husband, she needs a strong affection, great passion, fidelity and intimacy, she has a role in which she does not compete with man, and vice versa. Anyway, if Allah wills, I will present the summary of this topic to you in the near future.
"And the witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (for evidence). You should not become weary to write it (your contract), whether it be small or big, for its fixed term"
Glory to Allah! Human is assured in writing, the evidence is the saying of Allah almighty:
"your Lord has written Mercy for Himself"
Allah does not write, but He is reassuring us, the issue is written. For example: if a person buys a house without a contract he remains anxious, when does he find rest? It happens when he writes a contract, signs it and registers it. Human like authentication and assertion by nature and the written thing is more assertive and is stronger. And for the purpose of the regularity of social relations, our Lord Almighty said that debt is one of the greatest gates of goodness. However, when lending money and debt has not been registered nor has it been paid back, then this rope (dealing with debt) will be in a state of disorder. And by this, social relations will be damaged. Then dealing in another usury-based way becomes a must. So, in order to ensure this good deed, and to ensure this daily need for human kind, the debt verse was revealed.
Registry is for the purpose of authentication
Allah Almighty says:
"You should not become weary to write it (your contract), whether it be small or big, for its fixed term, that is more just with Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves,"
I am not exaggerating- hundreds or thousands of accidents such as: extorting money, separation of companies, and dispute between partners are based on not writing. Once a person said to me he invested with partner equal shares in a business. The capital amount was very simple. The value of this project increased till it reached about hundred-fold. He paid installments to me, he considered it from my capital, and drove me out of the company. The project value became some hundred millions despite it began with a nominal sum, he said to me: we have agreed, but we did not write a contract, so he repaid installments to me which I thought they were profits then I knew that they were for my original capital. He repaid my capital to me and said: you have nothing to do with this project.
So whoever neglects to write the contract will pay a heavy price. Therefore, type lest you forget, and bring witnesses lest other party denies. It was said that Moawiah may Allah be pleased with him asked Amr ibn al-Aas who was one of the most shrewd people of Arabs:" O Amr, tell me about your smartness. He said: By Allah, whenever I get involved in bad situation I find a way out of it. Moawiah said to him:" you are not extremely clever, but as for me I never get involved in a situation which l need to find a way out of it.
I will tell you this truth: when you have a contract with someone but you neglect to write it, or you write it and neglect to sign it, or you sign it and neglect to authenticate it, or you authenticate it but neglect to register it permanently in the primitive Court, you are giving up your rights to other party. You lure him to take your money and seduce him without you realizing. If you do that, and he takes ill-gotten money, do you believe that you are the real reason (for this stealth)? You are the reason, because you have not restricted his movement with a contract. If you had restricted him with a contract he would not have done that. Just as if someone hired an employee and let the money in front of him freely without counting it. This could tempt the employee to take some of this money. Do you believe that whoever enables sh3er to steal must be punished as a thief? Because he was the reason for morally corrupting a person, so why do we have to write? It is for the reason of authentication. I'm not exaggerating-there are hundreds of thousands very painful cases such as; the unethical acquisition of houses, companies, relationships, loans, debts, all happen because of not writing, Allah Almighty says to you:
"O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down. Let a scribe write it down in justice between you. Let not the scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so let him write. Let him (the debtor) who incurs the liability dictate, and he must fear Allah, his Lord, and diminish not anything of what he owes. But if the debtor is of poor understanding, or weak, or is unable himself to dictate, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her. And the witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (for evidence). You should not become weary to write it (your contract), whether it be small or big, for its fixed term, that is more just with Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves"
In the coming lesson, if Allah wills, we will continue this long verse.
"But if it is a present trade which you carry out on the spot among yourselves, then there is no sin on you if you do not write it down. But take witnesses whenever you make a commercial contract. Let neither scribe nor witness suffer any harm, but if you do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you. So be afraid of Allah; and Allah teaches you. And Allah is the All-Knower of each and everything"
