Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 290
290 is constantly added to the capitalist class and all classes of people are provided with equal opportunities of advancement. Thirdly, Islam has prohibited all profi- teering devices. For instance, Islam has declared it sinful for a man to hold back a commodity from the market with the intention of making a larger profit when prices should rise. All devices, for example, the forma- tion of trusts, etc. , by which profit is unreasonably enhanced have been prohibited by Islam. It may be objected that no commerce would be possible without interest. This is not correct. There is no natural relation between commerce and interest, but the latter is unconsciously associated with the former as Western countries have for long based their commercial system on this form of credit. If this had not been so commerce would not have been dependent upon interest and these countries would not have been faced with the unrest which has become a constant nightmare to their peace. Only a few hundred years ago, the Muslims were responsible for a large share of the world’s commerce and yet they carried it on without interest. They bor- rowed money even from the poorer classes by way of partnership loans, and the commerce carried on by them thus contributed directly to the welfare of those classes. Interest is not essential for commerce, but as commerce is at present being carried on, on the basis of interest, it appears as if without interest it would come to a stand- still. No doubt, a change in the system would in the beginning be inconvenient, nevertheless the system of cornmerce depending upon interest can be gradually discarded, as it was gradually adopted.