Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page 189
Economic Peace 189 them nor shall they grieve. O ye who believe! fear Allah and relinquish what remains of interest, if you are believers. But if you do not do it, then beware of war from Allah and His Messenger; and if you repent, then you shall have your original sums; thus you shall not wrong, nor shall you be wronged. And if any debtor be in straitened circumstances, then grant him respite till a time of ease. And that you remit charity shall be better for you, if only you knew. 10 The warning about a war from God in the verses just cited means that the laws of nature governed by God would begin to punish the capitalist society when the factors which have been discussed earlier ultimately lead man to economic imbalance and warfare. Disorders, disturbances and wars always follow exploitation and usurpation of the rights of the poor. We warn you about a war with God and His Messenger means that the state, which thrives on interest, would inevitably end up in a situation where the nations will rise in arms against each other. Time does not permit me to elaborate this aspect of interest. In the Holy Quran, verses prohibiting interest always follow verses on warfare. This indicates the inter-relation of interest and war. Those who are familiar with the history of the First and Second World Wars would remember that capitalism played a disastrous role in not only causing but also prolonging those wars.