Chapter on Usury (Riba)
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 27
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ بَيَّاعِ اَلسَّابِرِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ اَلنَّاسَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ اَلرِّبْحَ عَلَى اَلْمُضْطَرِّ حَرَامٌ وَ هُوَ مِنَ اَلرِّبَا فَقَالَ "وَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ أَحَداً اِشْتَرَى غَنِيّاً أَوْ فَقِيراً إِلاَّ مِنْ ضَرُورَةٍ يَا عُمَرُ قَدْ "أَحَلَّ اَللّٰهُ اَلْبَيْعَ وَ حَرَّمَ اَلرِّبٰا" فَارْبَحْ وَ لاَ تُرْبِهِ " قُلْتُ وَ مَا اَلرِّبَا قَالَ "دَرَاهِمُ بِدَرَاهِمَ مِثْلاَنِ بِمِثْلٍ".
It is narrated from Umar ibn Yazid, the seller of Sabiri, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه السلام: "May I be your ransom! People claim that making a profit from someone in distress is forbidden and is considered usury." Imam عليه السلام said: "Have you ever seen anyone, whether rich or poor, buy something except out of necessity, O Umar? Indeed, 'Allah سبحانه وتعالى has permitted trade and forbidden usury.' So make a profit, but do not commit usury." I said: "What is usury?" Imam عليه السلام said: "It is exchanging dirhams for dirhams of equal amount."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh