Chapter on Usury (riba)

"One dirham of usury is more severe in the sight of Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, than thirty acts of fornication, all of which are committed with forbidden relatives, such as a maternal aunt or a paternal aunt."

"One dirham of usury is more severe in the sight of Allah (swt) than seventy acts of fornication, all of which are committed with forbidden relatives."

Hadith.3993 - The Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) said: "The one who consumes usury, the one who gives it, its recorder, and its two witnesses are equal in sin."

Hadith.3994 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "The Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) cursed usury, its consumer, its giver, its seller, its buyer, its recorder, and its two witnesses."

"It is your gift to a man through which you seek a better return than it, and that is consumed as usury."

"Usury only applies to what is measured or weighed."

Hadith.3997 - Imam (as) said: "Any usury that people consumed out of ignorance, and then they repented, it will be accepted from them once their repentance is recognized." And Imam (as) said: "If a man inherits wealth from his father and knows that there is usury in that wealth, but it has been mixed with other lawful trade, then it is permissible and pure for him to consume it. However, if he identifies a specific portion as usury, he should take his principal amount and return the usury."

Hadith.3998 - Imam (as) said: "If any man manages a large amount of wealth and has excessively engaged in usury unknowingly, then later becomes aware of it and wishes to remove it, what has already passed is permissible for him, but he must refrain from it in the future."

Hadith.3999 - Imam (as) said: "A man came to Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) and said: "I have inherited wealth, and I know that the one from whom I inherited it used to engage in usury. I am certain that there is usury in it, and this knowledge makes even the lawful portion unpleasant for me. I have asked the jurists of Iraq and Hijaz, and they said it is not permissible for me to consume it because of what it contains." Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said to him: "If you know that there is a specific portion of it that is usury and you know its rightful owners, then take your principal amount and return what is beyond that. But if it is mixed, then consume it with ease and satisfaction, for the wealth is yours. Avoid what its previous owner used to do. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) forgave what has passed of usury and prohibited what remains. So whoever was ignorant of it, his ignorance is excused until he becomes aware of it. Once he knows it is prohibited, it becomes forbidden for him, and punishment becomes obligatory upon him if he engages in it, just as it is obligatory upon one who consumes usury."

Hadith.4000 - The Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) said: "There is no usury between us and the people with whom we are at war; we take from them, but we do not give to them."

Hadith.4001 - Imam (as) said: "There is no usury between a man and his child, and there is no usury between a master and his servant."

Hadith.4002 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "There is no usury between a Muslim and a Dhimmi, nor between a woman and her husband."

I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "May I be your ransom! People claim that making a profit from someone in distress is forbidden and is considered usury." Imam (as) said: "Have you ever seen anyone, whether rich or poor, buy something except out of necessity, O Umar? Indeed, 'Allah (swt) has permitted trade and forbidden usury.' So make a profit, but do not commit usury." I said: "What is usury?" Imam (as) said: "It is exchanging dirhams for dirhams of equal amount."

Hadith.4004 - Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as), that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) disliked the sale of meat in exchange for live animals.

Hadith.4005 - A man asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about the saying of Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic: "Allah (swt) destroys usury and gives increase for charities." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:276). He asked: "Yet I see those who consume usury, and their wealth increases." Imam (as) replied: "Is there any destruction greater than a dirham of usury that destroys one's religion? If he repents from it, his wealth will vanish, and he will become poor."

I heard Abu Abdullah (as) say: "There is no harm in selling different types of food, goods, or items that vary in value, two for one, if it is done hand-to-hand. However, if it is done on credit, then it is not permissible."

"There is no harm in exchanging a camel for two camels or an animal for two animals, as long as it is done hand-to-hand." And Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in exchanging one garment for two garments, whether hand-to-hand or on credit, if you describe them."

Hadith.4008 - Sama'ah asked Abu Abdullah (as) about selling two animals for one. Imam (as) said: "If you specify their age, then there is no harm."

Hadith.4009 - Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Abdullah asked Abu Abdullah (as) about exchanging one slave for two slaves, or one slave for another slave along with dirhams. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in exchanging all types of animals hand-to-hand."

Hadith.4010 - Sa'id ibn Yasar asked him about exchanging one camel for two camels, whether hand-to-hand or on credit. Imam (as) said: "Yes, there is no harm if their ages are specified, whether they are young or mature." Then Imam (as) instructed me to strike out the mention of credit because people say it is not allowed, and Imam (as) only did that as a precaution (taqiyyah).

"I will give you two robes in exchange for it." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) refused. Imam Hussain ibn Ali (as) continued offering until he reached five robes. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) then took the robes from him, gave him the fine robe, and placed the robes in his lap, saying: "I will take five in exchange for one."

"Flour in exchange for wheat, and parched flour in exchange for regular flour, if it is equal in measure, there is no harm in it."

"Wheat and barley should be exchanged one for one, and neither of them should exceed the other."

Hadith.4014 - Sama'ah asked him about food, dates, and raisins. Imam (as) said: "It is not permissible to exchange two for one of any of these, except if you change it from one type to another. When you change it, then there is no harm in exchanging two for one or even more than that."

I heard Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) say: "It is disliked to exchange one wasq of dates from Medina for two wasqs of dates from Khaybar, because the dates of Medina are of better quality." Imam (as) also said: "It is disliked to sell dates in exchange for fresh dates, even if measured equally, with a delayed payment, because fresh dates dry out and decrease in volume."

Hadith.4016 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about a man who gave his servant ten dirhams on the condition that the servant would pay back ten dirhams each month. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in that."

Hadith.4017 - Dawud ibn al-Husayn asked Abu Abdullah (as) about exchanging one sheep for two sheep and one egg for two eggs. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm, as long as it is not something measured or weighed."

"There is no harm in exchanging goods, as long as they are not measured or weighed."

I said to Imam (as), "A man comes to me asking to buy silk, but I do not have any. We negotiate about profit and payment terms until we agree on something. Then I go and buy it for him and invite him to complete the transaction." Imam (as) said: "What if he finds another deal that he prefers over what you have, can he leave you and go for it? Or if you find a better deal, can you leave him and pursue it?" I said: "Yes." Imam (as) said: "Then there is no harm."

Hadith.4020 - Abu al-Sabbah al-Kinani asked Imam (as) about a man who bought one hundred mann of brass for a specified price, while the seller did not possess the quantity sold at the time of the transaction. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm as long as he delivers the specified weight that was agreed upon."

Hadith.4021 - Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj asked Imam (as) about a man who buys food from another man who does not have it in his possession and buys it immediately (without delay). Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it." I said: "But they consider it invalid among us." Imam (as) said: "What do they say about salam (forward contracts)?" I said: "They see no harm in it because it is for a specified term. However, if it is without a specified term and not in the seller's possession, they say it is invalid." Imam (as) said: "If there is no specified term, then it is even more justified." Then Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in a man buying food that is not in the seller's possession, whether on credit or immediately, without specifying a term, unless it is for items that are not commonly available, such as grapes, melons, and similar goods outside their season. In such cases, it is not proper to buy them immediately."

"Whoever sells a commodity and says, 'Its price is such and such if paid immediately, and its price is such and such if paid later,' then take it at whichever price you wish and make it a single transaction." Then Imam (as) said: "He is only entitled to the lower price, even if it is on credit."

Hadith.4023 - Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said regarding a man who was instructed by a group to buy a camel for them with silver and to charge them extra for deferred payment. He bought the camel for them, and one of them was with him. Imam (as) prohibited him from taking more than the silver amount for the deferred payment.

I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "May Allah (swt) rectify your affairs. We interact with some people from the countryside, and we lend them loans. They deliver their crops to us, and we sell them for a fee, and we benefit from this arrangement." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it." And I believe he also said: "If it were not for the crops they deliver to us, we would not lend to them." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who borrows a specified amount of white dirhams and repays them with black dirhams by weight, knowing that they are heavier than what he borrowed, and he willingly gives the extra weight. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it as long as it is not a condition. Even if he gifted him all of it, it would be permissible."

I said: 'O my father (as), his dirhams were inferior, and these are of better quality.' Imam (as) replied: 'O my son (as), this is a favor, so give them to him.'"

I said to Abu Ibrahim (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)): "A man has some money with another man as a loan, and it remains with him for a long time without providing any benefit to the owner. So the borrower occasionally gives the lender something out of courtesy, to avoid returning the money without any benefit. Is this permissible for him?" Imam (as) said: "There is no harm, as long as they did not stipulate it as a condition."

I heard Imam (as) say that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) asking for help. The Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) said: "Who has a loan (to give)?" One of the Muslims said: "I have." So the Prophet (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) said: "Give him four wasqs of dates." The man gave him the dates. Later, the man came back to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) asking for repayment. The Prophet (sw) said: "It will be provided, and I will give it to you." He returned again, and the Prophet (sw) said: "It will be provided, and I will give it to you." He came back once more, and the Prophet (sw) repeated: "It will be provided, and I will give it to you." The man then said: "You have asked too much, O Messenger of Allah (swt)." The Prophet (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) laughed and said: "Who has a loan (to give)?" A man stood up and said: "I have." The Prophet (sw) asked: "How much do you have?" He said: "As much as you wish." The Prophet (sw) said: "Give him eight wasqs." The man said: "I only owe four." The Prophet (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) replied: "And four more as well."

"If the lender willingly allows it, then there is no harm." I said: "Those among us narrate that any loan that brings benefit is invalid." Imam (as) replied: "Isn't the best loan the one that brings benefit?"

Hadith.4030 - Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) was asked about a man who has dirhams or wealth owed to him by another man, and he invites him to his meal or gives him a gift. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm."

Hadith.4031 - Ya'qub ibn Shu'ayb asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who lends dirhams of lower quality and then receives better-quality dirhams in return, with the borrower's consent. He (as) said: "There is no harm in it." And this was also narrated from Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as).