Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (2/12)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

Section

Scholars have differed over the term “usury” as it occurs in the Quran. Is it a general expression whose intended meaning is understood and whose full scope remains applicable unless evidence restricts it? Or is it an indeterminate expression whose intended meaning cannot be understood from its wording alone and requires clarification from elsewhere? There are two views.

The statement of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), “Among the last things Allah revealed to His Messenger was the verse concerning usury, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) died without explaining it to us,” indicates that it is an indeterminate expression requiring clarification and explanation.

By saying that the Messenger of Allah died before explaining it, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mean that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had neither explained the verse concerning usury nor clarified its intended meaning. Rather, he meant—and Allah knows best—that he had not explicitly addressed every form of usury. For it is known that he (peace and blessings be upon him) expressly addressed many of them. These include his prohibition (peace and blessings be upon him) of exchanging gold for gold or silver for silver in unequal amounts, or exchanging either on a deferred basis for an immediate payment; his prohibition (peace and blessings be upon him) of combining a sale with a loan, selling what one does not have, combining two sales in a single transaction, sales concluded by touching or throwing, and selling fruit before its soundness becomes apparent; and other similar prohibitions.

These hadiths are understood as clarifying and explaining what Allah left unelaborated in His Book concerning usury. As for forms of usury that he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not expressly address, he referred people to the means of identifying them—the proofs of revealed law—and explained their various aspects. He (peace and blessings be upon him) did not die until the religion had been perfected and he had explained everything that Muslims needed explained. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.” [al-Mā’idah: 3]

فصل وقد اختلف في لفظ الربا الوارد في القرآن: هل هو من الألفاظ العامة التي يفهم المراد بها وتحمل على عمومها حتى يأتي ما يخصها، أو من الألفاظ المجملة التي لا يفهم المراد بها من لفظها وتفتقر في البيان إلى غيرها؟ على قولين، والذي يدل عليه قول عمر بن الخطاب ﵁: كان من آخر ما أنزل الله على رسوله آية الربا، فتوفي رسول الله ﷺ ولم يفسرها لنا، أنها من الألفاظ المجملة المفتقرة إلى البيان والتفسير، ولم يرد عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ بقوله: إن رسول الله ﷺ توفي قبل أن يفسرها، أنه ﷺ لم يفسر آية الربا ولا بين المراد بها، وإنما أراد - والله أعلم - أنه لم يعم جميع وجوه الربا بالنص عليها، للعلم الحاصل أنه ﷺ قد نص على كثير منها، من ذلك: تحريمه ﷺ التفاضل بين الذهبين والورقين، وأن يباع من ذلك شيء غائب بناجز، ونهيه ﷺ عن بيع وسلف، وعن بيع ما ليس عندك، وعن بيعتين في بيعة، وعن بيع الملامسة والمنابذة، وعن بيع الثمار قبل أن يبدو صلاحها، وما أشبه ذلك، لأن هذه الأحاديث تحمل على البيان والتفسير لما أجمل الله في كتابه من ذكر الربا وما لم ينص عليه ﷺ من وجوه الربا، فإنه أحال فيه على طرق ذلك، أدلة الشرع وبين وجوهها، وما توفي ﷺ إلا بعد أن كمل الدين وبعد أن بين كل ما بالمسلمين الحاجة إلى بيانه، قال الله ﷿: ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلامَ دِينًا﴾ [المائدة: ٣].