Undated

The Cure for Debt

A person submitted that, ‘I am under a great deal of debt. Please pray for me.’

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

Keep doing istighfar [seeking forgiveness] and taubah [repentance] as Allah has promised abundance for him who does istighfar.

The Taking and Paying of Interest

The Promised Messiah (as) asked how so much debt had been accumulated. The person replied that most of it is interest.

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

This is then the consequence of your own actions. The person who breaks the commands of Almighty Allah suffers punishment. God Almighty has already said that if you will not refrain from the taking and giving of interest, then be prepared for war. Allah’s war is indeed that He sends down His punishment upon such people. Thus, this poverty is by way of punishment and is a result of your own actions.

How to Safeguard Oneself Against Taking and Giving Interest

This person asked, ‘What can we do if we are forced to accept a loan with interest?’

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

The one who trusts Allah is helped from the Unseen by Him and He makes some way out for him. It is a pity that people do not understand this secret that for a righteous person God Almighty never permits such a situation to arise where he is forced to take an interest-bearing loan. Remember, as there are other sins, such as adultery or theft, so is the taking and giving of interest. How great is this loss that one loses money, honour, and faith!

In everyday life there is nothing on which you have to spend such large sums of money as would necessitate the taking of an interest-bearing loan. Take the example of marriage. There is no expense involved in this. Both sides agree and accept and the nikah [Islamic marriage] takes place. After this the walimah [a feast by the bridegroom] is a practice of the Holy Prophet (sas), but if one does not have the means, he is excused. Thus, if one practices an austere lifestyle, he would not suffer any loss. It is a matter of great pity that for their selfish desires and temporary enjoyment, people displease God Almighty, which results in their destruction. Consider how grave a sin interest is.

The eating of a pig is allowed in a situation of distress. Thus, Allah says in the Holy Quran:

فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَیۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَیۡہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۷۴﴾ 1

Meaning that one who is not rebellious and does not cross the limits set by Allah, it shall be no sin for him. Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

However, for interest it is not said that it is permissible in conditions of necessity. On the contrary, regarding it the commandment says:

﴾ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَذَرُوۡا مَا بَقِیَ مِنَ الرِّبٰۤوا اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿۲۷۹﴾ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا فَاۡذَنُوۡا بِحَرۡبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَرَسُوۡلِہٖ ۚ 2

If you will not abstain from interest, it is an invitation of war to Allah and His Prophet. I believe that the one who truly trusts Allah shall not have the need for interest. If the Muslims are in this predicament, it is the result of their own misdeeds. Hindus—if they commit this sin—become rich; the Muslims—if they commit this sin—become ruined, becoming examples of خَسِرَالدُّنۡیَا وَ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ [‘They are losers both in this world and in the Hereafter’]. So, is it not incumbent upon Muslims to refrain from this?

Man should from the start bear in mind and practice an austere style of living so that the need to take on an interest-bearing loan never arises by which the interest becomes greater than the principal. Only yesterday, I received a letter from a person who has paid one thousand rupees and still has five or six hundred more to pay. An additional difficulty is that the courts give decisions in favour of the lenders, and they are blameless in so doing because the signed papers are present indicating that the borrowers have agreed to pay the interest. So that is where the court decision emanates from.

A better solution would have been for some Muslims to come together to establish a fund, and manage and grow it on principles of trade so that no Muslim friend would have need of taking out an interest-bearing loan. But rather, everyone who had a need could go to this very group of people to fulfil his need and return the money within the allotted time.

Hakeem Fazal Din related that Allama [the most learned] Noor-ud-Deen was teaching Hadith in Bhera. It was the chapter related with interest. A person who was in the business of lending on interest came and sat close by. After hearing the teaching about the prohibition of interest, he asked, ‘What would you do if you need money to get married?’

Maulawi Sahib said, ‘We would just pledge the vows.’ He again asked, ‘If you have nothing to eat at home?’ Maulawi Sahib replied, ‘I would go, cut some wood, sell it, and buy food.’ He was so impressed that he said, ‘If you ever need up to 10,000 rupees, I will lend you this much without interest.’

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

Look, the one who does not hasten to engage in the forbidden but rather tries to safeguard himself against it, God Almighty makes lawful means available for him.

مَنْ یَّتَّقِ اللّٰہَ یَجْعَلْ لَّہٗ مَخْرَجًا3

God Almighty will make some way for the one who safeguards himself from giving interest and such prohibited things. The righteous deed of someone and his virtuous thinking does have an influence on others. If one perseveres on one’s stance, even he who lends money on interest will happily lend without interest.4