09-01-2003, 07:56 AM
as salam alykom I received this excellent article about Riba on an email thought to share it with u.
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Yesterday my husband was explaining to the realtor how we can only buy a home with cash because our religion forbids us to deal with interest. Subhana-Allah!!! The realtor told my husband that he works with Muslims all the time and that Muslims LIVE and BUY on interest, Astagh Ferrullah! He told my husband that we are the first Muslims to say it is not permitted in the religion.
Allah (SWT) says,
"Those who eat Riba (interest) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitan leading him to insanity. That is because they say: "Trading is only like Riba (interest)," whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba (interest). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Riba (interest) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba: interest), such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275)
The Prophet (SAW) cursed the one who consumes Riba and the one who pays it and the scribe who writes the contract, and the witnesses to it; and said, "They are equal (in sin)." (Sahih Muslim).
So hear O Muslims! Allah (SWT) has made trading halal (lawful) and riba haram (unlawful). Whoever receives an admonition from his (or her) Lord and stops eating the Riba (interest), stops paying the Riba (interest), stops witnessing the Riba (interest), and anything that is connected to the Riba (interest), shall not be punished for that which happened in the past, his (or her) case is for Allah (to judge)! Whoever returns to Riba (interest) will be a dweller of the Fire! In this particular verse brothers and sisters in Islam, Allah (SWT) is explaining to us that this thing called Riba (interest) is destructive, that it lands us a seat in the Fire! Anybody who hears these words from their Creator, who does not shake and shiver, something has to be wrong with them!
Listen to this true story brothers and sisters, about two or three young men who caught this woman, put a sack over her head, drug her into the basement and raped her repeatedly. They kept on raping her and raping her and raping her, over and over again. Then they said to each other, "Let's take the sack off her head and see how she looks." It was one of the young men's mother! It was one of the young men's mother! It was one of the young men's mother! THIS is what Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW) say about Riba (interest):
"Riba (interest) has seventy parts and the LEAST of it is like a man (or woman) having sex with his (or her) own (biological) mother."
The LEAST of it is like having sex with our very own, biological, mother! How in the world after reading these verses and reading this hadith can we say, "We don't have enough room for our children, we can't live in an apartment" and then go out and get a loan on a house?
Brothers and sisters! Image your mother, perfuming herself, putting on some nice lipstick and some real nice provactive clothes, you turning down the lights then going into the room with her and lying in the bed with her! Think about this for a second! Brothers and sisters BOTH think about this because this hadith is not specifically talking to the men!
Think about it! Do we still not have enough room for our children? Can we still not live in an apartment? Do we not even care that Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW) said these words about this great sin, that it is one of the seven great destructive sins along with shirk (Sahih Al-Bukhari)? How can we take it so lightly?
Brothers and sisters! There are NO fire extinguishers or fire escapes in the Fire! How can we take this thing so lightly? We talk about that sister who wears black from head to toe covering everything EVEN her face and hands!!! Yet, WE have a mortgage on a condo! We talk about that brother with the long beard whose pant legs are always above his ankles. Yet, WE have a bank loan on a house! OUR Discover card is maxed out! OUR payment is due on the Toyota! Why do we take Riba (interest) so lightly?
We love this dunya! When we get a little uncomfortable and want to make this life our Jennah we don't run to Allah (SWT), we run for the dunya! The Prophet (SAW) said,
"The dunya is a prison for a believer and paradise for the disbeliever!" (Sahih Muslim)
"Do not love this world, and Allah will love you, and do not have a longing for that which people have, and they will love you." (Ibn Majah)
Brothers and sisters! Right now today, Insha-Allah!!! We have to take this thing called Riba (interest) seriously, Insha-Allah! Listen to Allah (SWT) and obey:
"O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains from Riba (interest) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers!" (Surah Al-Baqara 2:278)
Ya Allah! Guide the Muslims, Ameen!