Allah has further described the usurer as an obstinate ingrate and grievous sinner. He says: “Allah obliterates interest and causes charities to grow; and Allah does not love every obstinate ingrate, persistent sinner” (Q 2:276).

Thus the Almighty declares that He does not love the usurer, and being deprived of Allah’s love necessarily means that Allah hates and detests him. Calling him kafār (an extreme ingrate) denotes excessive ingratitude for blessings—a type of ingratitude that does not, in itself, expel a person from the religion. He is ungrateful for Allah’s favor because he shows no mercy to the helpless, offers no aid to the poor, and grants no respite to the insolvent. If, however, he regards usury as lawful, then the term indicates outright disbelief that removes one from Islam. Allah also labels him athīm (a grievous sinner), meaning someone deeply immersed in material and moral wrongdoing.

Moreover, Allah has proclaimed war—both from Himself and from His Messenger—against the usurer, for he becomes their enemy if he does not desist. He further brands him a wrongdoer: “O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains due to you of interest, if you are truly believers. But if you do not, then be informed of war from Allah and His Messenger. Yet if you repent, you may retain your principal; you will neither wrong nor be wronged” (Q 2:278–279).

In addition to these Qur’anic threats, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ contains further warnings. The Prophet counted usury among the destructive major sins, and he cursed the one who consumes it, the one who pays it, its two witnesses, and its scribe, as