Allah prohibited riba in three steps (as in the case of another big evil: alcoholism), taking into account the deeprootedness of this social illness in the Arabian society. Jahiliyya Arabian society was deep in the hold of riba at the time of the nubuwwah of the prophet (pbuh). Poor people suffered greatly because of the cut-throat attitude of the usurers who were the only social establishment for funding the needy. The Jewish community in Madinah and around not only gave approval for this but practiced it in the most notorious way. (Recall Shakespeare’s Jewish moneylender Shylock).
Its impact was quite visible in all walks of life. Even Muslims were not fully unaffected by the evil of ribah. Greed and avarice was widespread in the society in general. The urge and pull to amass wealth was widespread. People were not aware of the fact that wealth was something divinely released for each individual as part of his qadr depending on various factors that Allah has as criteria for this, again dependent on his great wisdom. They were persuaded to believe that it was the result of their efforts and cleverness. In fact, individual’s effort and cleverness are only instrumental reasons Allah bring in for giving or denying wealth to anybody. The Quran reminds us of this on several occasions.
What the Quran does first to bring about the social atmosphere for prohibiting riba is to make people educated in the basic economic philosophy explained above i.e. economic prosperity is not the result of our cleverness or efforts. But Allah’s choice and discretion for reasons known only to him for giving opportunities for testing us. This is why he makes some of us rich and some others poor. Each of these states involves a test to the person concerned and for the rest of the society. Followed by this he taught mankind the value and greatness of charity and its benefits and the consequences of frugality and miserliness. Then he established the rights of the poor and the mahroom (the deprived) in the wealth of the rich and encouraged, persuaded and chastised the rich (step by step) for the carrying out of this responsibility.
It was followed by this that Allah revealed the first ayah on riba in surah Al Rum (30: 38) pointing out that the riba you give to your lenders for it to grow with their wealth will not make any growth (neither in the individual’s or the economy’s case) in their concerns. The basis of growth is the zakah (two kinds of charity) that you give to the needy seeking Allah’s pleasure. This is so because it’s not you but Allah who gives and who blocks. This was about 5 years before hijra.
وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّبًا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ
Then after the defeat at Uhud, one caused by the greed to amass the ghaneemah / war spoils, Allah warned the Muslims in Surah Ali Imran (ayah 130 onwards) against the greedy or avaricious mentality of amassing wealth unmindful of the situation that one is in, the condition of those around us, and forgetful of what one’s own state will be in the coming days. Here again people are reminded of the source of wealth, their responsibility pertaining to it, and that Allah is who gives and who blocks. This was in the third year after hijra.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا أَضْعَافًا مُّضَاعَفَةً ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
The final proclamation of the all time prohibition of riba comes after the victory of Makkah. At this stage it is in the form of a warning to the tribes in Arabia to end their practice of usury or be ready for a battle with Allah and his apostle. The Prophet (pbuh) carried out this instruction by including the prohibition of riba in his pact with all non-Muslim tribes who came for peace talks with him after Makkah victory. This occurs in Surah Al Baqarah (ayah 275 on), a little before the prophet’s (pbuh) demise.
الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا ۗ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا ۚ فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ
وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ ۚ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
Remember: the first issue that Abu Bakr ( ra ) had to declare war with any was the denial of turning in Zakah. So is the seriousness of the evil of money and money matters on people of all societies. It is not easy to part with money. One should have good level of Iman to be able to dispense the rights of others and part with one’s own excess / surplus money.
The Logic of Zakah Being the Right of the Poor
Now the logic of the Zakah being treated as the right of the eight groups of people: Economic activity and growth in the society is solely because Allah has created men with different potentials, abilities, status and levels. If all were created with equal potentials, status, and facilities, there will be nobody to initiate economic activities. It is only because of all of us dependent on others for everything that we are pushed into economic activities. Therefore, it is easy to find that a rich man is rich only because Allah has made others poor. He is rich at the expense of others. And Allah has done this by giving the share of the poor to him. And when he gives the poor the portion of his wealth that is due to him, he is only giving his due which was the basic reason for his being rich and the latter poor. This Allah has done so because of his great wisdom for initiating economic activities on the earth. If all were in the same level of fortune in all respects, no economic activity will take place. Therefore, no doubt, there is a portion due to the poor in a rich man’s wealth. It is his right and not the rich man’s magnanimity. This is so because Allah has made human beings this way and made it as the basis of the economic growth.
