Ar-Riba

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Ar-Riba

Extract from Chapter 30 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir:

39. Wama ataytum min riban liyarbuwa fee amwali alnnasi fala yarboo AAinda Allahi wama ataytum min zakatin tureedoona wajha Allahi faola-ika humu almudAAifoona

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39. And what you give for profit so that the increase is at the cost of other people's amwaal (property, dues) then it is not a lawful increase/profit with Allah.⁷ And what you give in charity seeking Allah's pleasure – the givers of such charity are the ones who will get their return multiplied.

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7. Herein lies the Qur’aanic definition of Ar-Riba that gets prohibited in Verse 2:275. For further details in this regard please read What is Ar-Riba, a Chapter from the book ISLAM AND INTEREST. What Allah dislikes is a gain that is sought to be made by usurping the rightful amwaal (properties, earnings, dues) of others. Such gains are termed Ar-Riba wherever else the Qur’aan refers to these, as in Verses 2:275, 3:130, 4:161, etc.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 26^th January 2018.

Fear Allah

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from Chapter 3 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir:

102. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha haqqa tuqatihi wala tamootunna illa waantum muslimoona

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102. O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not but as those who have surrendered themselves completely to Allah.¹²⁰

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120. Death may come without any warning signals. Man should therefore never postpone surrendering himself to any future date. That future date may never come in his life.

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Allah is Beneficent and Merciful. So, fear Him not as one would fear a despot. Fear Allah here means that one should be afraid of doing anything against His instructions in the Qur’aan.

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 19^th of January 2018.

Spider Web

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from Chapter 29 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir:

41. Mathalu allatheena ittakhathoo min dooni Allahi awliyaa kamathali alAAankabooti ittakhathat baytan wa-inna awhana albuyooti labaytu alAAankabooti law kanoo yaAAlamoona

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41. Patrons – in lieu of Allah – that people take to, are like a web of a house that the female spider builds. And, certainly indeed, the most debilitating of all houses is the spider's house – if they but knew!^6a

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6a. One ought to see, in this context, the YouTube video in which it is shown how a fly gets helplessly ensnared in a spider’s web! Moreover, biologists came to know about the fact, that it is the female which builds the web, much later than when it was indicated here in this Verse.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 12^th of January 2018.

Muslim Position

On the Editorial Page of the Indian Express issue dated December 27, 2017, there is an article giving a frank analysis of the position the Muslims find themselves in. The article in question is entitled ‘The Other, The Enemy’ by Abdul Khaliq, secretary general of Lok Janashakti Party.

For their sorry plight as depicted in the article, the Muslims themselves, largely, are responsible. They are Muslims only in name. They are badly divided among themselves. And, more importantly, they hardly follow the divine instructions given them in the Qur’aan. Had they – a majority among them, at least – followed those instructions meticulously, their position would not be as bad as that article depicts. For, in that case, they would be under the safe protection of Allah Almighty.

Kindly see, in this context excerpt below from Chapter 46 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir:

13. Inna allatheena qaloo rabbuna Allahu thumma istaqamoo fala khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

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13. Those indeed who say, ‘Allah is Our Lord’, and then remain steadfast, they shall have no fear then, nor shall they grieve!⁵

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5. Refer also, in this context, to similar Verse 41:30, which is a further elaboration of this Verse here. The Verse depicts, in a nutshell, the character of a believer in this world.

That character is missing in the Muslims of today. They may well declare, with their tongues, ‘Allah is our Lord’, but the declaration does not come from their hearts. Their belief is not strong enough to withstand the trials and tribulations of this worldly life. The weakness of their belief makes them neglect the Qur’aanic do’s and don’ts. So, Allah makes them suffer at the hands of other communities here. Allah subjects them to this suffering to make them realise their waywardness and turn back to absolute Trust in Him. If they do not learn their lesson, they may continue to suffer, not only here, but, Allah forbid, in the Hereafter as well!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 5^th of January 2018.