FAI UM Surabaya Lecturer Explains Wisdom Why Allah SWT Prohibits Riba Practices

01 Jul
2022

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FAI UM Surabaya Lecturer Explains Wisdom Why Allah SWT Prohibits Riba Practices

The problem regarding the position of usury in buying and selling and debts is actually not only in Islamic teachings. But religions outside of Islam such as Judaism and Christianity also have problems with usury. Riba appeared not only during the pre-Islamic or Jahiliyyah era, but usury had become a serious problem during the Greek and Roman eras. It's just that among the two dynasties usury became ups and downs in accordance with the wishes of the authorities at that time.

Since pre-Islamic usury has been known and even often carried out in daily economic activities. At the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, riba began to be prohibited by the revelation of verses in the Qur'an which stated the prohibition of usury, these verses were revealed according to the time and period when the verses were revealed until there were verses that explicitly prohibited it. But not only Islam prohibits taking usury, but divine religions also prohibit and condemn usury actors.

Thoat Stiawan, a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Religion (FAI) UM Surabaya, explained that usury is an exploitation activity and does not use the concept of ethics or morality.

"Allah forbids transactions that contain elements of ribawi, this is due to tyrannizing other people and the presence of elements of injustice (unjustice)," he said Friday (1/7/22)

According to him, usury is equated with rent, namely the taking of additional assets or capital in vanity, because they both contain interest in money, the law is the same.

Thoat explained that in general there are two types of usury, namely: usury due to accounts payable and usury due to buying and selling. Modernists view usury as placing more emphasis on the aspect of morality, not on the formal legal aspect, but they do not allow the activity of taking usury.

"Islam strictly prohibits usury in the Qur'an Surah al-Baqarah verses 278-279 which is the last verse regarding the prohibition of usury, also contains an element of exploitation," he added.

He also emphasized that in Surat al-Baqarah it was stated that he was not allowed to abuse or be abused, meaning that he was not allowed to multiply (ad'afan mudhaafan) money that was owed, also because his activities tended to harm other people.

In his statement, he explained several wisdoms why Islam prohibits usury, one of which is to make human individuals who like to help one another. With an attitude of helping each other to create a stronger brotherhood. So that it closes the door to the act of breaking good relations between human beings.

“Another wisdom is to make work a glory, because work is a means to earn income. Because by working someone can improve their skills and great enthusiasm in life," he said.