and each person will have only what he intended; for these two have intended the very usury whose prohibition Allah revealed in the Quran. It is the usury concerning which Allah revealed His words:

“O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains of usury, if you are believers.”

“If you do not, then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal, neither wronging nor being wronged.”

“If the debtor is in hardship, then grant him time until he can repay.”

In the pre-Islamic era, a man who was owed a debt would approach his debtor when payment fell due and say, “Either repay or increase the debt.” If he repaid, that settled it; otherwise, the debtor would increase the amount owed, and the creditor would extend the repayment period. Thus, he would have sold money for a greater sum payable later. Allah therefore commanded them, upon repenting, to demand only their principal. Those who employ stratagems seek the same end as the people of the pre-Islamic era, but they seek to deceive Allah. They have various methods:

One is to sell someone a commodity on deferred payment, then buy it back from him for a smaller sum paid immediately. Thus, the mother of Zayd ibn Arqam’s child said to ‘Ā’ishah, “I sold Zayd a slave boy for eight hundred, payable when the stipend was distributed, and bought him back for six hundred in cash.”

‘Ā’ishah said to her, “What an evil sale, and what an evil purchase! Tell Zayd that he has rendered his jihad alongside the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, void unless he repents.”

She asked, “Mother of the Believers, what if I take only my principal?”

‘Ā’ishah then recited:

“Whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists may retain his past gains, and his affair rests with Allah.”