Towards Understanding the Qur'an. Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi
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The wrong-doers have none to succour them. (271) If you dispense your charity publicly, it is well; but if you conceal it and pay it to the needy in secret, it will be even better for you. This will atone for several of your misdeeds. Allah is well aware of all that you do.
(272) You are not responsible for setting these people on the Right Way; Allah sets on the Right Way whomsoever He wills. Whatever wealth you spend in charity is to your own benefit for you spend merely to please Allah. So, whatever you spend in charity will be repaid to you in full and you shall not be wronged.
(273) Those needy ones who are wholly wrapped up in the cause of Allah, and who are hindered from moving about the earth in search of their livelihood, especially deserve help. He who is unaware of their circumstances supposes them to be wealthy because of their dignified bearing, ▶
it to none but God and for the sake of God. It is then that such a vow will be reckoned as an act of obedience to God and its fulfilment will be worthy of reward. Otherwise such a vow will be seen as an act of disobedience and sin and its fulfilment will invite punishment from God.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 274–5
but you will know them by their countenance, although they do not go about begging of people with importunity. Whatever wealth you spend on helping them, Allah will know of it.
(274) Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and publicly, will find that their reward is secure with their Lord and that there is no reason for them to entertain any fear or grief. (275) As for those who devour interest, they behave as the one whom Satan has confounded with his touch.97 Seized in this state they say: “Buying and selling is but a kind of interest,”98 even though Allah has made buying and selling lawful, and interest unlawful. ▶
97 The Arabs used the word majnun (possessed by the jinn) to characterize the insane. The Qur’an uses the same expression about those who charge interest.
98 The unsoundness of this view lies in not differentiating between the profit one gains on investment in commercial enterprises on the one hand, and interest on the other. As a result of this confusion, the proponents of this view argue that if profit on money invested in a business enterprise is permissible, why should the profit accruing on loaned money – that is interest – be deemed unlawful?
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Al-Baqarah 2: 276–8
Hence, he who receives this admonition from his Lord, and then gives up (dealing in interest), may keep his previous gains, and it will be for Allah to judge him.99 As for those who revert to it, they are the people of the Fire, and in it shall they abide. (276) Allah deprives interest of all blessing, whereas He blesses charity with growth. Allah loves none who is ungrateful and persists in sin. (277) Truly the reward of those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish Prayer and pay Zakah is with their Lord; they have no reason to entertain any fear or grief.
(278) Believers! Have fear of Allah and give up all out- standing interest if you do truly believe. ▶
99 What is said here is not that man will be pardoned by God for the interest charged in the past, but that it is for God to judge him. The expression: “may keep his previous gain” does not signify absolute pardon from God for the interest one has realized, rather it points to the legal concession that has been made. It only means that no legal claim will be made against a person for the interest he had charged in the past.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 279–81
(279) But if you fail to do so, then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger.100 If you repent even now, you have the right of the return of your capital; neither will you do wrong nor will you be wronged. (280) But if the debtor is in straitened circumstance, let him have respite until the time of ease; and whatever you remit by way of charity is better for you, if only you know.101 (281) And have fear of the Day when you shall return to Allah, and every human being shall be fully repaid for whatever (good or evil) he has done, and none shall be wronged.
100 This verse was revealed after the conquest of Makkah and has been placed here because of its contextual relevance. Although interest was considered objectionable even before, it had not been legally prohibited. After the revelation of this verse interest-bearing transactions became a punishable offence within the realm of Islam. On the basis of the last words of the verse, Ibn [Abbas, Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Sirin and Rabi[ ibn Anas are of the view that pressure should be brought against anyone who charges interest within the boundaries of the Islamic State (Dar al-Islam) to repudiate the transaction and recant; and if he persists, he should be put to death. Others consider it sufficient to imprison such people and keep them in prison until they pledge to give up charging interest.
101 This verse is the basis of the Islamic regulation that if a person is incapable of paying off his debt, the court will force the creditors to grant him respite from payment. In fact, under certain circumstances, the court is entitled to remit a part of his debt and, in some cases, the whole of it. Muslim jurists have made it clear that a debtor’s residential house, eating utensils, clothes and the tools which he uses for earning his livelihood may not be confiscated in any circumstance whatsoever for non-payment of loans.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 282
(282) Believers! Whenever you contract a debt from one another for a known term,102 commit it to writing. Let a scribe write it down between you justly, and the scribe may not refuse to write it down according to what Allah has taught him; so let him write, and let the debtor dictate; and let him fear Allah, his Lord, and curtail no part of it. If the debtor be feeble-minded, weak, or incapable of dictating, let his guardian dictate equitably, and call upon two of your men as witnesses; but if two men are not there, then let there be one man and two women as witnesses from among those acceptable to you so that if one of the two women should fail to remember, the other might remind her. Let not the witnesses refuse when they are summoned (to give evidence). Do not show slack- ness in writing down the transaction, whether small or large, along with the term of its payment. ▶
102 This is the basis of the rule that the time for the repayment of a loan should be fixed at the time when the loan is transacted.
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Al-Baqarah 2: 283
That is fairest in the sight of Allah; it is best for testimony and is more likely to exclude all doubts. If it be a matter of buying and selling on the spot, it is not blameworthy if you do not write it down; but do take witnesses when you settle commercial transactions with one another. And the scribe or the witness may be done no harm. It will be sinful if you do so. Beware of the wrath of Allah. He teaches you the Right Way and has full knowledge of everything.
(283) And if you are on a journey and do not find a scribe to write the document then resort to taking pledges