Shafaqna India: Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:130-132)
By: Mohammad Sobhanie
Banning Usury
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا أَضْعَافًا مُّضَاعَفَةً ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٣٠﴾ وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ﴿١٣١﴾ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٣٢﴾
3:130 O you who have believed, do not consume usury, doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful.
3:131 And fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the disbelievers.
3:132 And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy.
Commentary:
The Qur’an addresses social ills in a gradual and methodical manner: it first highlights the harm and, once society becomes receptive, introduces legal reforms—especially in contexts of widespread corruption.
In pre-Islamic Mecca, usury was a common practice among the Arabs, contributing to significant social problems. The Qur’an prohibited usury in four stages.
Verse 39 of Surah Ar-Rum offers a moral perspective and marks the first step in addressing usury. God explains that wealth gained through usury may increase, but it lacks blessing. True growth and blessing come from zakat and charity.
The Qur’an’s gradual guidance against usury continues in Surah An-Nisa (4:161), where it criticizes the People of the Book for engaging in usury despite its prohibition for them.
This methodical progression culminates in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:275–279), where usury is unequivocally forbidden and described as a form of war against God.
Verse 3:130 prohibits a severe form of usury described as adʿāfan muḍāʿafah (أَضْعَافًا مُّضَاعَفَةً). The term adʿāfan (أَضْعَافًا) means “multiples” or “manifold,” while muḍāʿafah (مُّضَاعَفَةً) means “doubled,” “multiplied,” or “redoubled.” It conveys the idea of something increased many times beyond its original amount. When paired together, these two words emphasize continual and excessive increase. Together, they refer to compound interest—interest charged on both the principal and the accumulated interest.
Verse 3:130 reads, “O you who believed (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا), do not consume usury (لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا), doubled and multiplied (أَضْعَافًا مُّضَاعَفَةً), but fear Allah (وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ), that you may be successful (لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ).”
The phrase “fear Allah” (وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ) implies that engaging in usury reflects a lack of mindfulness and obedience toward Allah (swt). Building on this, verse 3:131 subtly reminds believers that success in the Hereafter is the reward for obedience to Allah (لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ).
Verses 3:131 and 132 read “And fear the Fire (وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ), which has been prepared for the disbelievers (الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ). And obey Allah and the Messenger (وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ) that you may obtain mercy (لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ).”
The term “Kāfirīn” (كَافِرِينَ) commonly translated as “disbelievers,” “those who reject faith,” or “those who conceal the truth.” It is the plural form of kāfir (one who disbelieves). The root k-f-r also conveys the meaning of covering or concealing and, by extension, can denote extreme ingratitude toward God.
In certain Qur’anic contexts, derivatives of this root are used more broadly to describe the rejection or neglect of a specific divine command, even by those who outwardly identify as Muslims. For instance, this usage appears in verse 3:97:
وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٩٧﴾
3:97 And pilgrimage to the House (Kaʿbah) is a duty owed to Allah by all who are able to undertake it. But whoever disbelieves (i.e., refuses or denies this obligation)—then indeed, Allah is free of need from all the worlds.
Here, the verb kafara (كَفَرَ) refers specifically to rejecting the obligation to perform Hajj, indicating a form of disbelief tied to neglecting a divine duty.
