Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salamualaikum,
i am verry happy because true this site i learned alot. Inshallah you guys keep it and may allah give you all the healfht and knoledge to keep guiding us. I had buy my car true the bank and have a personal account from the bank. I didn.t know about ribba. But alhamdulillah i am getting alot kwnoledge true this site. What i need to do know after i know this is haraam, i ask forgivveniss of allah subhana. But what i need to do?? Keep paying till i finish or stopp it? Inshallah i finish in 2 year. Pls help me. Allah hafiz. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Riba in ignorance

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Question: …..What i need to do know after i know this is haraam, i ask forgivveniss of allah subhana. But what i need to do?? Keep paying till i finish or stopp it? Inshallah i finish in 2 year. Pls help me.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 274-276:

But those who devour ‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his touch. They have been condemned to this condition because they say, “Trade is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before: his case shall ultimately go to Allah. But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing and develops charity, and Allah does not like an ungrateful, sinful person.

Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 161:

That they took ‘riba’, although they were forbidden. And that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully. We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (of Hell Fire)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 130-132:

130 O ye who believe! Devour not ‘riba’ doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.

131 Fear the Fire which is prepared for those who reject faith.

132 And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rome verse 39:

39 That which ye lay out for ‘riba’ through the property of (other) people will have no increase with Allah: but that which ye lay out for charity seeking the Countenance of Allah (will increase): it is these who will get a recompense multiplied.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 276:

276 Allah will deprive ‘riba’ of all blessings, but He will give increase for deeds of charity: for He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Ali said he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah on those who took ‘riba’, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, every single type, derivation, and manifestation of the indulgence in ‘riba’ (including usury, interest, etc.) is absolutely and categorically forbidden for the believers who sincere believe, trust, fear, and have faith in Allah and the Last Day.

Respected brother, if in ignorance of the Laws of Shariah you happened to indulge in the abomination of ‘riba’ in the past, it is imperative that first and foremost you turn back to your Lord Most High in ‘taubah’ and seek sincere repentance for your transgression of His Laws and His Prescribed Boundaries….if you are indeed sincere in your repentance and subsequently amend your conduct, it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Whatever deeds one might have done in one’s past, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere ‘Taubah’ and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a repentant believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only will forgive the sins of such sincerely repentant believers, He will change their evil deeds done into good deeds!

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

• One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
• Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
• Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
• Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Your Question: …..Keep paying till i finish or stopp it? Inshallah i finish in 2 year. Pls help me.

Respected brother, it you have the means to pay and settle the balance outstanding amount of your riba-based loan, then it would be a condition of your repentance unto your Lord that you immediately pay and settle that unlawful loan and save yourself from the abomination of ‘riba’.

If you do not have the means to settle the loan immediately to the bank, you could alternatively sell the vehicle which you bought on ‘riba’, and settle your loan with the bank…and thus save yourself from indulging in the abomination of ‘riba’.

Respected brother, as soon as you have realized that indulgence in the abomination of ‘riba’ is a sin and a manifest transgression in the Sight of the Lord….it is incumbent upon you to fear your Lord, and do whatever is in your ability and means to save yourself from continuing to indulge in that sin…that would be piety and righteousness on your part in the Sight of your Lord Most High.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 65 Surah Talaq verse 2 (part):

And for those who fear Allah He (ever) prepares a way out.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan