Intention to leave riba.
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:
Brother,
i just read about your message on Usury and Interest. See i was using 3 credit
cards and i run into problems with them, i had to do something about it
otherwise i would be in much trouble with the law.. Thats why i got a huge loan
so that i could close all 3 of them at one go alonge with other loans i had before...
My question is, am i in trouble with the lord because of the loan? but owing to
which i had no other choice but to take a lone to cover them.
Secondly, i
have invested in a foreign insurance so that i can have pension later on in
life, my question is they give out profits as well, and i want to close it down
and get my money back coz i realise its a wrong but they say i have to keep
paying for it for the next year to get my whole money back... and do that i
have to keep paying till i could get my whole money back other i lose half of
the money i invested in... So ill continue to pay and then close it after one
year will i be punished by my lord for this act??
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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:
Intention to leave
riba
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.
Your
Question: My question is, am i in trouble with the lord because of the loan?
but owing to which i had no other choice but to take a lone to cover them.
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 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.
One can only image the Wrath and the Anger of the Lord
Most Majestic on those who indulge in the abomination of ‘riba’ that a war
against Allah and His Messenger (saws) is declared upon them!!!
Respected brother in Islam, the first (three) transgression
was indulging in using the available limits on the three credit cards whereby
you had to pay ‘riba’ for its usage….the fourth error was to take an
interest-bearing loan to clear the interest-bearing loans of the (three) unpaid
credit cards!
Respected brother, if you, even now turn unto your Lord
Most Gracious in ‘taubah’ and seek sincere forgiveness for your manifest
transgressions; make a solemn covenant with your Lord that you will never ever
indulge in the unlawful abomination of ‘riba’ again…..it is expected that you
will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
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: ... So ill continue to pay and then close it after one year will i be
punished by my lord for this act??
If you have invested in an interest-based insurance company
in ignorance of the Laws of Shariah in the past, you are well within your
rights in Shariah to receive and utilize the lawful funds you have
invested….not the interest-based returns they offer you which is over and above
your invested amount.
If the company will not cancel your policy and return back
your invested amount until you pay them the balance premiums for one year, and
you have the means to bear the loss….then it would be best and purest that you
immediately put a stop to such indulgence in ‘riba’ based investments.
If you do not have the means to bear the loss which you
would incur if you put an immediate stop to your insurance policy, and in your
efforts to recover your invested amount you have to pay your premiums for
another year, there is no harm….as long as you take for yourself only what you
have lawfully invested and make a solemn covenant with your Lord that you will
never ever indulge in the abomination of ‘riba’ again….it is expected that you
will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful, Insha Allah.
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