Understanding Usury According to Islam

Every prohibition and rule of God in Islamic teachings is certainly not just to avoid acts that are personal in nature. The rules and prohibitions that God gives always affect individuals and social as evidence that there are many functions of faith in Allah SWT. For those who violate it, the loss is in themselves and also the impact on the people around them.


"O ye who believe, do not eat usury multiplied, and ask your trust in Allah that you may have good fortune." (Surah Ali-Imran: 130)

In Islamic teachings, what Allah conveyed through the above verse shows that usury is prohibited. In Islam, behavior and perpetrators of usury are acts of crime that Allah will curse both in his life in the world and in the hereafter. Usury is often related to bank interest or the addition of loan repayments. Included in this (wealth in Islam) usury is a regulated part of Islamic fiqh.

This is also conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad in a hadith, "the Messenger of Allah cursed (condemned) those who ate usury, people who represented him, the author and two witnesses." (Narrated by Muslim)

Of course, as Muslims we must fully understand what the understanding and substance of Riba is. The behavior of usury is certainly not only detrimental to humans in the hereafter, but burns the rewards that are collected for the Hereafter. In accordance with the concept of human beings in Islam, of course there are no humans who want to lose their lives both in the world and in the hereafter.


Understanding Usury According to Language and Historical Context
In terms of the language of usury means to increase, develop, rise, or rise. This term is certainly very related to a particular context, namely in the economy. The increase in usury is not just an increase that is normal in nature, but is related to the social context of the community as when the verse came down.

In the development of Islam now, the term usury is often associated with bank interest law according to Islam and the law of borrowing money at the bank with interest, even to the legal level of working in a bank, which is in a conventional bank and there is bank interest.

In the history and context relating to the verse, there are several things that are important to understand the nature or substance of the prohibition of usury and the law of usury in Islam.

Buy and Sell Context
This context is when the seller sells the item to another person and is willing to accept money at a specified time. If the buyer is unable to pay according to the price at the specified time, then the term is added with the agreement willing to pay more. That is, the buyer is asked to pay more than the agreed price, when the time increases.

Context of Borrowing and Borrowing Money
This context is where someone lends money to another person for a certain period of time. The condition is that if it reaches a certain period of time then the borrower must pay the money in addition. So that returns are greater than when borrowing.

Loan Context / Debt involved
This context is often referred to as multiple additions. For example, for example, a borrower cannot repay a loan within a specified time. Then he must pay the debt with an additional larger amount during the grace period until the debt is completed.

From the historical approach, the meaning of usury according to Islam means not only as an additional cost. Usury is the addition of payments to people who are in debt, in a condition where the debtor is unable to repay the debt according to the time and amount specified. Against the debtor who is unable to pay it off, then the lender adds back the cost to burden the payment from the debtor.

In this case there is not always an addition equal to Riba. For example, people who add infaq to people who are unable, add children, add production materials, zakat officers add zakat funds to those who hide merchandise, etc. Of course this is not the same as the addition as found in usury.


Social Impact of Usury Behavior
The existence of usury behavior not only affects the person or one person. The prohibition of God against humans to do usury certainly has logical reasons that have social consequences as well. To unlock the effects of usury behavior, it is necessary to dismantle it from the Islamic and scientific approaches. The following are the social impacts caused by usury behavior.

Loss of Sense of Humanity and Help
People who are in debt or people who cannot afford to repay loans are people who do not have enough money or not enough money for something that is used for the primary (food, drinking, education, health, etc.). People who help lend are certainly expected to be oriented to reduce the burden and certainly do not add to the weight of the debtor.


If the debtor adds additional costs to those who are in debt and cannot afford it, the behavior is certainly not a human thing. A person who fulfills his life needs is difficult then added with additional burdensome costs, for the benefit that is obtained personally by the lender.

In addition, this can also have an impact on the lack of healthy ukhuwah and association in Islam or fellow Muslims. It has become an assumption that Muslims are like one body, which should help help in kindness rather than complicate and ensnare in the dark.

Increased Economic Difficulties due to Debt Circles that have not Been Completed
As a result of usury, people who borrow money or are in debt will become increasingly entangled and will never be finished with their difficulties. How can he pay for additional or usury given if he only pays the primary difficulty. For this reason, the presence of usury does not even alleviate the burden, even more strangling people with existing additions, and making debts will not end.

In fact, we know for ourselves that the existence of debt is a burden on someone. For this reason, one of the recipients of zakat is people who are in debt and have difficulty paying for it. This is done in order to free them from the bondage of usury and get out of the problem, until they are free to carry out normal economic activities again.

So that of course people who have sufficient assets do not need to show their attitude. Riya in Islam is bad behavior and plunges into evil. Riya people will boast and far from keiklasan worship to Allah SWT.

Hatred and envy appear
Moral hatred and malice will arise over the behavior of usury charged to someone. If there are many people who bear the debt and additions, this certainly becomes a problem and social upheaval. There will be malice, hatred for inhuman behavior, which is applied by lenders.

Indeed the concept of man in Islam and human nature according to Islam is in the world to be able to prosper the earth not to ensnare one another in trouble. The existence of usury is certainly very contrary to the concept. The danger of usury is like the danger of lying and its law in Islam, and of course it will lead to finah in Islam (fellow Muslims).

Indeed, for Muslims, other Muslim difficulties are the responsibility or obligation of Muslims who are able to help them. Not the other way around, which actually adds to the burden and plunges into debt which continues to convolute. For that reason, it is only natural that God threatens hell fire for those who commit usury.


The Importance of Cultivating Concern and Sincerity
Increasing fees or fees for those who are in debt and cannot pay it is certainly the behavior of usury. As a form of prevention of usury behavior for those who are able and like to give debt, the solution is to build morale or behavior that leads to caring and sincerity in helping.


If someone has a sense of caring and sincerity helps, above his wealth, he will often provide assistance instead of being turned on from the difficulties of others. A caring person will never have the heart to make trouble and make others angry. Likewise with sincerity is being able to give up his help without expecting any return from the person who is assisted, but only expecting blessings and the reward that Allah gives. Of course that is the virtue of being fair to oneself, including to others.

By cultivating this moral, Muslims will be born with strong assets, strong souls, and willing to help and support those who are in trouble. They support the weak not only oppress and live in support by weak people.