Āl ‘Imrān

Not to be usurer -To be in awe of Allah -To be in awe of Hell - To spend in the cause of religion -Mutual forbearance to seek the Divine Protection - The loss inflicted upon the enemy -Misfortune at Uhud.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَأْكُلُواْ الرِّبَا أَضْعَافًا مُّضَاعَفَةً وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

130. "O' you who have Faith! Do not devour usury, doubling it over and over again, and be in awe of Allah; that you may be prosperous."

This verse, together with its eight subsequent verses, has been located among the verses about the Battle of 'Uhud. This arrangement, perhaps, is for the sake that the existence of ethical and economical themes is helpful in a defensive system. The society whose members are the people of sincerity and devotion, who hasten to do good, to repent, and are obedient to the godly leader, will be successful in war, too. But, the society whose members are mammonish, miser, disobedient, and persist in committing sin, surely will be defeated.

However, the verses on the prohibition of usury have been revealed gradually and in several stages. The first step of the prohibition of usury was a critical attack against the usury of the Jews. This verse is for the prohibition of the usury doubling it over and over again, but, later, Islam gradually prohibited devouring even a penny of usury and introduced it as a fighting against Allah.

Explanations

1. Before the prohibition of the principal of usury, its ugly outstanding forms were prohibited.

2. In the economical affairs, observing piety is intensively necessary. In other words, the existence of a safe and sound economy is the sign of piety therein.

3. Prosperity cannot be obtained by wealth and usury, but it can be obtained by piety-

4. Usurer is impious and an impious person does not become prosperous. A usurer is prosperous neither in this world, nor in the Hereafter. In this world he is involved with grudge and rancour of others, and in the coming world he will encounter the Wrath of Allah.