—is the qard ḥasan (benevolent loan): you lend your brother a sum so that he may benefit from it, and he later pays you back the very same amount, with no stipulated increase and no deficiency. That alone is the benevolent loan.

By contrast, any loan that brings a benefit, or that is contracted with the aim of securing an usurious surplus, is forbidden by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the unanimous consensus of the Muslims, and its perpetrator faces a severe warning. What you must return is only the principal you borrowed.

The extra sum that he stipulated for you and then took from you is unlawful ribā. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—cursed the one who consumes ribā, the one who pays it, its two witnesses, and its scribe; thus he cursed the consumer of ribā and all who assist him. What you both have done is forbidden and counts among the major sins. You must repent to Allah, and he must give back the additional amount he took from you, for it is not lawful for him. By handing over that extra sum you yourself committed a prohibited act; you were obliged to refuse. Had he persisted, you should have brought the matter before the Muslim judge so that he could restrain him from his crime. What you both engaged in is plain ribā, so repent to Allah and never return to such dealings, and the other party must return the surplus he received. Allah Most High knows best.

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Ribā and Salam

Question: In some of our rural towns and villages, especially during the autumn season, a practice has become customary. A poor or needy person goes to those who are affluent, or to merchants, and asks them for certain items on credit—money, maize, and the like—until harvest time. The merchants then hand over, for example, a sack of maize