The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 428
CH. 2 277. Allah will AL-BAQARAH PT. 3 يَمْحَقُ الله الرّبوا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقْتِ وَاللهُ abolish interest لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ and "will cause charity to increase. And Allah loves not anyone who is a confirmed disbeliever and an arch- sinner. 283 "30:40. commodity which is given as a loan with the condition that it will be returned with an agreed excess. Finally, it may be noted that in view of the peculiar conditions of the present times, when there is a vicious network of the interest system surrounding us and Islam is in a greatly weakened condition, the Holy Founder of the Aḥmadiyya Movement has declared that if a person is forced to accept interest, he may do so and then spend the money thus received on (a) the propagation of Islam, and (b) paying off any interest that he may similarly be forced to pay. He should, however, scrupulously avoid spending such money on himself or his family or using it in any other way (Fatāwā & Al-Faḍl). 283. Important Words: (abolish) is derived from which means, he abolished or annulled or obliterated a thing; he annihilated it; he rendered a thing deficient and deprived it of its blessing of increase (Aqrab). (will cause to increase) is from the same root as ✓ (interest) for which see 2:276. Commentary: is abolishing interest and declaring it to be unlawful but that a time is coming when interest will he blotted out from the world and charity and alms will take its place. This promise was first fulfilled by the ascendancy of Islam in the East and the West, and now that the Promised Messiah, with whose advent the second and universal rise of Islam has been has appeared, the prophesied, promise will again be fulfilled by the re-ascendancy of Islam in the four corners of the world. to The words, Allah will abolish interest and will cause charity to increase, also contain the secret of world prosperity. If nations desire to prosper, they should stop the giving and taking of interest and practise charity instead. It is of interest to note that the word (will cause increase) is from the same root as (interest). The clause thus beautifully hints that whereas the world looks upon the taking of interest as a means of increase, the real means thereof lies in charity. The words also mean that God, in His dealings with men, will deal kindly by those who spend their wealth in charity so that they will eventually prosper and thrive, while those who lend or borrow money The verse hints not only that Allah | at interest will be punished by God. 428