A Guide for the New Muslim Part 11
Date:
Channel: Jamal Zarabozo
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AI Generated Summary ©
The importance of avoiding sexual behavior during Islam, avoiding harms, and avoiding cultural references is emphasized. The importance of avoiding negative behavior and avoiding false accusations is emphasized, as well as avoiding risk and deception in businesses. The speakers emphasize the need for specific guidance and guidance on money and wealth, avoiding risk, and not over expressing. The goal is to avoid negative emotions and become more confident in one's faith.AI Generated Transcript ©
Sooner Rama nor him hamdulillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala nabina Muhammad wa Sharona ilaha illallah wa ala shawanna. Mohammed Abu what?
About
Mashallah, so to continue about our discussion of Muslims with respect to others,
let me speak a little bit about a Muslim visibly, members of the opposite sex.
Because this is obviously for, let's say, like Americans who embrace Islam, this is obviously something in many cases very different from what from what they're used to.
And in particular, many new converts to Islam for a number of reasons. They sometimes have difficulty with this idea of there being some kind of separation between men and women. And some cases, I mean, let's be frank, in some cases, because they don't want to give up having these kinds of interaction with opposite sex. No one can deny that, that that's part of the reason why many times new Muslims have some difficulty in this area.
And for other non Muslims also, they might be influenced by things that they've read, or what people have told them that really this separation of the sexes and so forth is not really part of Islam as such, but it is simply part of some cultures. And in fact, some cultures may be after the time of the prophet SAW Selim, when I spoke about the goals of the Sharia, the goals of Islamic law, and the things that that Islamic law seeks to preserve some of what they call the necessities of life, the basic issues of life and society, that that Islamic law is trying to preserve. One of them is the ties of family that the family ties and kinship ties, it is part of the goal of, of Islamic law, to
make your family as strong and as pure as possible,
to make the family as strong and as pure and as healthy as possible.
And within this one of the aspects,
that there is emphasis on in Islam, and there can be no doubt, no question about this. One of the aspects is this kind of sexual purity or purity when it comes to the relationships between men and women, and the honor of men and women and so forth.
Because of this, there are specific texts in the Sharia that speak about
the manner in which men and women are supposed to behave towards one another.
So for example, there is a clear prohibition of a man and woman who are not related to each other.
Or they're not like husband and wife or, for example, man can be with his mother or sister and so forth.
This clear text in the Sharia that a man and woman who are not related to each other cannot be alone in private.
Now, think about this. What Why? Why does the Sharia say that a man and woman cannot be alone and private? And if they are alone, and private actually, then shut down? The devil is the third among them.
What is the purpose behind?
Obviously, the purpose behind this is to make sure that there's no door open to them
to do something that they should not be doing.
And when we speak about from a Sharia perspective, we're talking about, from a Sharia perspective, what is it that they should not be doing?
Well, it's not just the question of illegal sexual intercourse, but other I mean, any kind of sexual intimacy, any kind of touching and so forth of a sexual nature, any kind whatsoever is forbidden, between people who are not husband and wife.
And we see for example, that
Allah subhanho wa Taala and the Quran in different places in the Quran is speaking to women, for example, about how to dress and how to behave and even speaking to men also about how to behave.
Allah subhanho wa Taala says in the Quran,
Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and protect their private parts and not to show off their dominance, except only that which is apparent, and to draw and to draw their veils over the next and bosoms and not to reveal their dormancy except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands, fathers, their sons, husbands sons, their brothers or their brothers, sons, or their sisters, sons, or their women or female slaves, or old male servants who like vigor, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what the height of their dominance
and take a look to forgive you or believers that you may be successful.
And the men also are commanded by Allah subhanho wa Taala.
lower their gaze and to protect the private parts as well.
So here, Allah subhanho wa Taala is telling the woman, that look, you have a circle of male relatives,
outside of that circle of male relatives, you cannot go out and show yourself and display your beauty.
Now this you could if you if you just think about this, the strict laws of Islam with respect to the dress of the one
another verse, Allah subhanho wa Taala says,
Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw to draw their cloaks all over their bodies, that will be better, that they should be known as respectable women so as not to be void and allas, of forgiving, Most Merciful. So here again, we see all this man with data demanding the females, the Muslim woman to cover all over their bodies.
Now, why, why just like no, why are these laws in the Sharia?
Can you imagine? Or do you think it is possibly the case that the woman is asked to dress in a modest fashion and cover all of her body and yet at the same time, she can sit with men and flirt with them and and lead them on and so forth? Or vice versa? Also men can sit with her and and talk to her and pro inappropriate manners and leave them on does this make any sense?
Obviously, the the question of dress is just one aspect of the of the ultimate goal of trying to keep the society from a sexual perspective as pure as possible.
So therefore, we also find Hadith of the Prophet sesamin, which is warning about the intermixing with women.
The prophet SAW Selim said beware of entering upon women
beware of entering upon women and in other words, stay away from at that time, and at that time, it was you know, the women in general had different places that there would be other than men
and so the prophet SAW sent him a saying, Look, don't go to where the women are getting and so forth. is say he's saying do not mix with women. And so the Prophet sesamum was asked what about the in laws?
You know, can you go among in laws men and women mixing easily in the provinces and I'm said the in laws are deaf.
So this expression from the process Adam is obviously a very strong expression
where the promises enum is rewarding, even more so about those people who feel who feel more relaxed. They feel like oh, this is my, my brother's wife or so forth. And so they feel relaxed and they feel like they can interact with one another one another and the profitsystem is actually giving him in a stronger warning about them.
The province or cinema has demonstrated to us that the opposite sex in on the attraction
The opposite sex This is something very dangerous.
Especially for men.
The problems are seldom said that she is left behind for four men, no greater trial, no greater test than that a woman.
Because of all the different sins that a man might commit, one of the ones that he might be most easily induced to is, is committing those acts which are illegal
with the opposite sex. So the province has sent him said, this is the greatest trial that is left
behind him for men.
How could someone for example, hear this from the processor, this is a great, what is not an abacus pfitzner, this is a great trial. This is something that could easily seduce you or get you into doing something wrong.
You know, some people say, look, there's no hiding, or there's no verse that says that what is known as the last the mixing between men and women that this is haram.
Well, of course, there's no clear text, because there's some certain circumstances where there might be some has to be some mixing. When you buy and sell, there might be women buying and selling, or if you're teaching might have to teach women obviously, in the court of law, there's going to be there's, you know, if your neighbor is a female, sometimes you have to pass by them and so forth. There's obviously many circumstances in which you're going to have to come across a woman, if a lot were forbidden in every possible way, this would be a great hardship initially.
But at the same time, it does not take a genius in Islamic law, to see all of these texts and what they're pointing to and how these texts are pointing the fact that, in general, men and women are not from the from the city's perspective, are not free to interact freely, and flirt with one another and talk to one another, and become comfortable with one another and be associated with one another on a regular basis and so forth. You know, you cannot read these texts and come to that conclusion.
And you also have to remember the fact that it is not simply the the ultimate goal of illegal sexual intercourse that is forbidden.
Now, that's not the only thing that is forbidden, as the Prophet says Adam, has told us in the Hadith that Allah has written for,
for the son of Adam, for human beings, his share of adultery, which he inevitably commits,
the adultery of the eye is the site
to look at those things that are forbidden fruit look,
Tyson man, so looking at her and gazing at her with lust, and so forth, obviously, this is how
I saw the process. And I'm said, The adultery of the eyes of the site, the adultery of the tongue is the talk.
flirting with her and speaking with her, are on the case of women also flirting with men and so forth and speaking with them in improper ways and leading them on and so forth.
And the prophet SAW Selim said continued the adultery of the tongue is the talk and another narration, the adultery of the hand is the touch,
and the inner self wishes and desires and what you're setting yourself, then you begin to get some desires in once. And the private part either affirms it or denies it or rejects, either fulfills it or doesn't
have the words even if someone doesn't reach that ultimate stage of doing the ultimate wrong with respect to a member of the opposite sex. Still, all of these steps up to it, or a kind of Zinner kind of adultery, the process of describing this is the words of the Prophet system. So all of these things are wrong. So why why would a Why would
a Muslim then whether male or female, continually allow themselves to be in a situation where they're mixing with the opposite sex and so forth,
and opening the door to all of these kinds of wrongs.
And so that is why many of the scholars throughout the history they have stressed the fact that in general, the relationship between men and women have to have to be restricted. It is not just an open door, you treat them as a friend like you would treat the brother and so forth. And the interaction between them should be restricted to what is needed.
should not think of themselves as just I'm going to be cozy friends with this man and this man thinks I'm going to be closer friend with his sister.
This is not this is not proper. It's not perfect, because it is it is harming one of the one of the most important goals of the city as a whole.
And as I said, for some new Muslims and for some conference, this aspect is somewhat difficult.
And they may not even think it's important
You know,
but in reality, if you think about what Islamic Society is about,
and what Islamic law is about Islamic law is about guiding the entire society, not just, you know, one individual might be able to say, Oh, I'm strong enough, I'm not going to do anything wrong with this woman, nothing wrong with me, sitting with this woman and talking with her, and even flirting so forth, we're not going to do anything. But this is not Islamic law. Islamic law is not saying, Oh, so and so and Cincinnati, Ohio, he can do this, but other people cannot. I mean, if you look at society as a whole look at the society, United States has become very promiscuous.
How many teenage pregnancies are there how many unwed mothers are there?
Do you think that this is the kind of society that Islam wants,
in which you have a married person commits adultery, the death penalty is, is what is called for. And if a single person, an unmarried person, and one person commits adultery, they get flogging.
Really think that this kind of society what we see in front of us this is what Muslim society should be like.
And the kind of burdens and pressures that this puts on society of these children being brought up and so forth. Or nowadays, even all of the all of the cases of abortion and so on. Obviously, this is not what Islamic Society is all about.
And unfortunately, not just by the way, among converts, but even among longtime Muslims and some Muslim cultures.
they violate some of these principles of the Sharia, especially with respect to the in laws and family and so forth. They're, they're open between them and so forth. And this is, these are also things that the Muslim convert will see and have to be aware of, and he will have to do or she will have to do her best to apply Islam properly in her life, regardless of what she might he or she might be seeing even from other Muslim.
Let me speak now a little bit about the relationship of the Muslim visa, Visa v the society as a whole.
And we have to realize that as Muslims, when we accept to live in a certain society,
when we accept to live in a certain society, and especially by the way, if we're coming here from another society, and this may not be have too much relevance to do with
no Muslims, or converts to Islam, but especially when we when we're coming here from another society, and we're signing visa papers or or asking for citizenship, or whatever the case might be, we are making a pact with that country that we are willing to live in.
And as I said, either the pact is explicit, something we have signed, or it is implicit by the fact that we are living here and choosing to live here and choosing to remain here.
willingly,
willingly choosing to live here. So we are making a pact with that society and the other individuals of the society, that we are going to abide by the laws of that state.
We don't have the right to violate the laws of a state simply because we're Muslims, and it's not an Islamic State. And so therefore, we'll do anything that we that we want. Obviously, the principles of proper behavior that we've been discussing so far, with respect to Muslims and their neighbors and, and non a non Muslims and non Muslim relatives and whatever. All of these principles have to play.
In reality, a Muslim actually an individual Muslim, who is applying Islam in his life and is really adhering to Islam. This individual should be a plus for any society that is living.
Regardless of whether that society is Islamic Society or not. That kind of person. That kind of individual should be a plus for any society, for any society that is living.
In fact, when the problem homosassa them in Mecca.
When the processor was in Mecca,
he actually left Mecca at one time this was before the final hedgerows, he loved Mecca. The process had gotten to this point and in order to re enter Mecca, he had to have protection from someone.
And so a non Muslim when he met the province of Salem and and the process and described the situation he was in he said no.
He said someone like you're talking about the promises. Um, so he is a non Muslim, he doesn't believe in the promises. But he said someone like you cannot be thrown out of a city.
And it's not proper that someone like you is is asked to leave a society because you help the poor, you assist the people, you're truthful, you're honest and so forth. The man continued to describe the process and he said someone of this nature should not be thrown out of society.
Similarly,
Muslim, the Muslim who, when he behaves properly, he should be a plus to any society that is living, whether that society is a Muslim society or non Muslim society or whatever.
Because as we said, for example, he's going to be a good neighbor.
Right, he's going to treat the other people in his community, closest to him in his community is going to treat them well.
They should be happy to have this Muslim as their neighbor, when the Muslim deals with other Muslims, when this Muslim deals with other members of society, regardless of whether they're Muslim, or non Muslim, he's going to be honest, is going to be fair, when he works, for example, and he earns a living and he gets paid for the work that he's done, that he's done, he's going to make sure that he does the work properly.
As we talked about, actually, and Muslims should try to achieve a son and everything that he does, he should try to do everything in an excellent manner.
And that is the overall behavior of almost
you will also void. You know, no matter what society that you're speaking about nowadays, and Muslim by nature of following Islam, he's going to avoid those actions
that those societies consider wrong and harmful. In fact, usually it is the opposite. I mean, usually the cases that they're going allow many things that the Muslim himself would never do.
But those actions which they consider wrong, a Muslim is going to avoid, right and Muslim is not going to the Muslim, Muslim is not going to murder someone. Muslim is not going to rob someone, the Muslim is not going to bribe someone.
And as I said, in addition to that,
the proper Muslim, the Muslim who is applying his faith is also going to avoid avoid alcohol, is going to avoid drugs, is going to avoid so many things, which are burdening society know how much how much of taxpayers money goes into relieving some of the problems that are caused by alcoholism, by drug abuse, and so forth.
Are the shelters that, that we pay for, for example, many of them, they're filled with people because of drugs and alcohol, that's why they're in there. That's why they need our help.
How many people get killed in alcohol related accidents, and so forth.
And all of this harm that is brought to society, all of these kinds of things, even if they are legal, like alcohol, even if they are legal in society, a Muslim is not going to do them.
A Muslim in general is going to be some someone positive and beneficial for virtually any society that isn't doing.
Unfortunately, though, Muslims Muslim, a view of what is the best society will be different from the non Muslim view.
So he will not have the same he will not feel the same maybe with respect to many things that are non Muslim fulfilled.
So for example, things like pornography, which are illegal, or alcohol. You know, from a Muslim perspective, these things don't belong in a society for many non Muslims, they think, yes, this is what makes America great, right? We have alcohol, we have pornography, and all this kind of freedom.
So that's why maybe their perspective of what society should be is different. They may not have the same feelings towards this society.
As someone who was engrossed in all these things, and sees these things as just beautiful and perfect, obviously, this is natural.
But the important point is that he is not First of all, he's not going to bring about harm to society. And secondly, his behavior and his action should actually benefit society.
I want to just talk about one
other topic before we before we haven't shall our final lecture next time. And that is a Muslim man, his relationship to wealth and property.
In Islam, wealth is not considered an evil. Some religions they consider wealth, a kind of kind of evil.
But in reality, wealth from an Islamic perspective, this is a bounty that Allah subhanho wa Taala bestows upon individuals. It is definitely not evil, it can be used for evil purposes. And it can be a real trial for human beings. I mean, wealth as we spoke about before, wealth can be the ultimate goal of some human beings.
So it can be truly a trial. But if it's in but if it is in the hands of a righteous person, then it is something that can be used for the proper purposes and be something very beneficial. And by the way that the Muslim uses it, he may truly be earning the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala and so let's run with that and the Quran actually describes wealth and children both of these as a kind of trial from him Alyssa bone with dialysis
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Believe truly your wealth and children are both a trial for you. Because as I said they can lead you actually both children and well sometimes they could lead you to do something very wrong. Your great love for wealth may lead you to do things which are haram forbidden in Islam.
You're putting such an emphasis on wealth and making it virtually as your ultimate goal. This obviously could completely mislead you from, from the path of Allah somehow with that.
And so it is a great trial, it is a great responsibility if Allah gives you wealth.
It is a great responsibility. In fact, all of the bounties that we receive, we should be grateful to Allah subhanho wa Taala that He has given us these bounties. And part of that gratefulness to Allah subhanho wa Taala is that we use these bounties in ways which are pleasing to us many
ways which are acceptable according to the Sharia.
And we should always remember that all of these bounties that we receive
in the end, ultimately, Allah subhanho wa Taala is going to hold us responsible for what we did. With respect to the doctor's
office I sent him said that the two feet of of the human being of that on the day of judgment will not move.
Two feet will not move until he is asked about certain matters, you'll be asked about his life and how we use it, you will be asked about his knowledge and what he did with it, he'll be asked about his wealth and how he acquired it, and how we spent it. And he will be asked about his body and how he used it.
And just how it is the process and it made it very clear that we're going to be asked about our wealth, both with respect to how we earned it.
We have to make sure that we earn it we get it in the proper way, and also how we used it up.
Because in reality, this wealth actually belongs to Allah subhanho wa Taala. And we are more like caretakers. It is a trust in our hands. And we have to use it in the way that Allah subhana wa tada as I said, will be pleased with.
So therefore there are very important ethical principles and laws related to business dealings in Islam.
business dealings and the earning wealth are not simply a matter or a means of getting ahead in this world.
Not just have for example, cutthroat competition and taking advantage of others and making money and making money and not even being concerned about what is the ultimate effect of the way that you're making money. How many people are you harming by the way that you're making money? How many people are you exploiting, by the way that you're making money?
these are these are questions that a Muslim has to ask themselves.
His business behavior, like his interaction with others has to be based on the ethical principles of Islam.
And so therefore, the province of Salem has given us lots of guidance with respect to
business transactions. And with respect to how we have to deal with one another with respect to money and wealth and so forth.
Because the drive to earn more money.
We see this obviously in society nowadays in the kind of materialism that exists and how there's cutthroat competition and people will do practically anything to make money.
This can really affect your relationship to others.
And among those laws that we find in Islam, Allah has prohibited certain business kind of transactions that are going to produce enmity and hatred between the Muslims.
In a Hadith of the prophets, I sent him
headed the Prophet Sessoms spoke about the relationships, the relationship that Muslims should have towards one another.
And in this Hadith of the prophets of cinnamon, which the process and speaks about very important, general principles. The promise of cinemas also also gives us specific guidance and that specific guidance is actually related to business dealings. So in this hadith the prophet SAW Selim said that has to do with a tonnage issue worth
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prophets I send them said, Do not be envious of one another, did not have a feeling of envy towards what your brothers possessed because these are your brothers and sisters in Islam. Why? Why are you feeling envious about what Allah Subhana with that is given.
So the Prophet said to begin, do not be envious of wonder, do not artificially raised prices against when
you raise the price, so you get more money off of it, even though it is not really the price that the market bears and you do this through artificial schemes and so forth. Do not hate one another, do not turn one's back on one another, do not undercut one another and business transactions. When a business deal is finished and made, you do not go in, for example, and your friend say, well, I'll give you this cheaper, and so that the person cuts off his business dealings that you just included, and b are servants of a lot, Brethren,
and Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he does not wrong him, he does not fail him when he needs him, he does not lie to him, and he does not show contempt for him. Then he said piety is here. And he pointed to us just
meaning piety is in the heart. And then he said it is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother in contempt. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim, his blood as well in his honor.
So in this very
general Hadith, the process cinnamon, which is speaking about really what kind of relationship Muslims should have 106 firstly mentioned, some kind of business practices that are going to bring hatred and dislike between Muslims are you undercut one another, you basically cheat one another, not. And it's not even explicitly cheating. But it's a kind of implicit thing where you go behind someone's back. And you harm that brother from a material point of view.
These kind of things should be avoided by Muslim
because they are not only ethically speaking from a business perspective, not very good behavior. But actually they harm the relationship between the Muslims. And instead, the prophets I sent him as made God for the one who is easygoing,
and generous while buying and while selling and while demanding his rights. The prophets of cinnamon
made
him a low origin. And sometimes it's a bad way to start off with a thought
process items may draw, may Allah have mercy upon this individual when he is forgiven, and he is forgiving in his easygoing, and he's generous, when he's buying and when he's selling and when he's demanding his rights.
And one of the keys to a business transaction. Because remember, now we as Muslims, we do not believe that everything.
Everything is simply a matter of physical cause and effect. There's a lot of things in this world, that you cannot simply explain by physical cause and effect. Why? Why is this individual blessed with certain things while the other individual is not blessed with certain things, why maybe two people go to the same school get the same degree, and one ends up to be getting a good job and the other one can't find work and so forth. So, you know, there's a lot of things in this world that that you cannot explain simply by the material things of this world.
Obviously, Allah subhanho wa Taala is blessing some people and Allah subhana wa tada is trying other people, and alisson I know what that is keeping blessings from other people. And sometimes in some places in the Quran, or some Hadith or processing, we can see exactly why that might be the case.
The prophet SAW, Selim said that the buyer and the seller have the right of option as long as they do not apart from one another, if they were honest and clear, they would be blessed in their transaction.
What if they conceal facts and lied then the blessing of their transaction would be destroyed.
Here we we understand from this that actually virtually anything in life but even business transactions
or ethics or behavior is going to be related to the fact that weather alerts run without is going to bless us and that they are not.
And so therefore, when we enter into business, we must make sure any kind of business transaction we have the proper behavior, if inshallah we have the proper behavior, then Allah subhanaw taala would bless us in that action.
Now, with respect to business ethics and business practices in Islam,
the general principle is that any kind of business transaction any kind of arrangement that you could that you make, that you can think of any kind of contract that you might come up with.
Islamic law says that it is permissible unless it contains some components that make it
okay, in other words,
It is it is innocent until proven guilty.
So you're free to make any kind of transaction, any kind of business contract,
you're free to make any kind as long as there's certain things which are voided.
Obviously there are, there are clear ways of earning of obtaining wealth, which are forbidden in Islam. Obviously, they're like robbing and stealing and bribery and extortion and all these kinds of things. I mean, these things, I think you all know, it's clear that these things are forbidden in Islam.
But with respect to general kinds of business dealings, and contracts and transactions.
As I said, these things are basically permitted unless there's some aspect to them, which makes them problematic, and then therefore forbidden by the Sharia.
For example, the Sharia has forbidden any form of water,
of water.
And what is meant by this is that this is any kind of overly risky transactions.
And when you think about Islamic law,
Islamic law and the principles of Islam, what we find in the Quran, and what we find in the Hadith, the process of them, one of the major things you can see is that the law is meant to prevent anyone from being harmed. anyone, any kind of injustice to be done to anybody. So if you have an overly risky transaction,
of course, any there's going to be risk involved in any kind of transaction. But there are some transactions, which risk is this central characteristic of it? You know, like gambling, for example, gambling is forbidden in Islam. And gambling is a completely risky transaction, right? There's no
you know, when you when you roll the dice, or spin the roulette wheel, or whatever, there's really nothing except chance involved. And you might win a lot, or you might lose a lot. So therefore, someone is going to be harmed, the one who's going to win a lot, is harming the person who's taking the money from the one who's losing a lot. Obviously, he considers himself the one who's harmed.
And so the province SLM has forbidden
any kind of overly speculative or risky transactions.
This is where, for example, there's uncertainty about uncertainty about the price of something or the characteristic of something
where, for example, the price of an item has not been declared. Like for example, let's take an example of something that happens during auctions. And unfortunately, I've even seen this during auctions in which people are trying to raise money for Islamic causes, you have a box,
and the box is sealed, and the box is wrapped. And you actually have no clue whatsoever,
what is in that box, and then they start auctioning it off.
This is an overly risky transaction This is
because you have no clue what is in that box, you don't know what you're buying at all, you have no clue whatsoever. And so therefore, you are just taking a chance you're taking a chance that it's going to be something good and it is going to be worth something close to what you're paying for it.
So this kind of just chance and risk and so forth. This is prohibited by the Sharia and obviously the details of it, we don't have can get into that now might be something that you may wish to study further. But again, the idea is to
make everything clear and to reduce the possibility of harm to any the parties involved. Another very important aspect that one has to avoid with respect to his financial dealings is the issue of interest or Riba.
Interest is absolutely forbidden in Islam.
Some of the strongest passages in the Quran have been reserved for this issue of interest for example,
and sort of the Baccarat verses 275 to 279.
Allah subhanho wa Taala says
these
Those who devour interest will not stand me on the Day of Judgment, except as he who rises home the devil has the range by touch.
This is because they say trade is just like interest. While Allah is permitted trading and has forbidden interest,
he or unto whom an admonition from his Lord has come, any refrains shall keep the money of that which has passed and his affair henceforth will be with Allah.
as for him who returns to interest, such a such a rightful owners of the fire, they will apply there in forever. A lot destroys interests and gives an increase for charity. Allah loves not every disbelieving center. Truly as for those who believe perform good deeds establish the prayer and faith has occurred, the reward is with the Lord. No fear shall come upon them, neither shall agree.
You believe, obey your duty to Allah and give up what remains due to interest if you aren't truth, believers. If you do not do so, then be informed of a war from Allah and His messenger. But if you repent, then you have your principal without interest, and do not wrongly the others and you should not be wrong. By the way, unfortunately, some some of the translations of the Quran
translate this term Riba and they translate this passage, instead of saying interest, they say usury
and usury, in reality, what user is is an exorbitant amount of interest,
exorbitant amounts of interest. This is not a good translation for river because Reba is any amount above the principal, any amount. So from an Islamic point of view, anything above zero any, any rate of interest above zeros is exorbitant, so every interest is Riba and every.
So every interest is usury. And every user is interest.
So again, you might see that in some of the translations of the Quran, but in reality, it is not usury in the sense of an exorbitant amount of interest. But it is interest, meaning any kind of amount.
And it has been narrated that the prophets that set him curse, the one who takes interest, the one who gives it, the one who records it, and the witnesses to it, they are all alike, is it?
So it is not the case. You know, it's not the case that okay, I you know, I'm the law, I don't, I don't take interest, but I pay it on this loan or that loan. No, this is not the case, this is not allowable.
Any kind of dealing with interest, whether you're the one taking it, or paying it or whatever, or even the one recording and so forth, this is to be avoided. As we said, the promises of cursed curse the person who did these things, and he said all of them are equal.
So therefore, it is forbidden to pay interest or to receive interest. And this includes any interest that you might accrue on your checking account or savings account.
All of this kind of money, all of this kind of money is actually Haram in Islam.
And actually the one of the aspects of Islam when it comes to lending money,
the rules the laws for lending money in Islam,
from an Islamic perspective, lending money to someone else. This is considered a brotherly act. And so therefore, the law, the rules and the laws concerning loaning money
are different from business transaction. Because actually, if you lend someone money, this is supposed to be a brotherly act, you shouldn't expect anything in return for it, except what You let.
Now if you want to make money off of it, then for example, you go into partnerships, some kind of business partnership where you put your money at risk. You don't get a fixed return, you put your money at risk, and maybe you invest it, you make money or lose money and so forth.
But if you're just going to lend money to someone, this is considered a brotherly act and you have no right to demand,
you have no right to demand that he pay you back more than what you've given him. So Islam opens the doors to many kinds of different kinds of business transactions. Partnerships are many ways that you can invest the money. But it closes the door to any kind of injustice, including the injustice of Riba. And by the way, those of you, I don't want to get too much into this into this aspect right now. But those of you, for example, who studied economics, and especially economic development, and you're familiar with the kind of harms that interest
and the payment on on loans is causing in the world today, some governments have to pay more in interest payments for loans that they received, and they can spend, even on health or education. And so, so this has been completely prohibited in Islam. As I said, the texts regarding it are very strong texts. And the Muslim should do his best, therefore, to avoid any, any form of interest.
Now, there's a couple of issues, of course, they come up for a conference on this point,
because maybe you've now entered into Islam, and perhaps you have a mortgage on your house.
Now, let me just say, right now that you might hear some people saying that, okay, mortgage is not interest, or it's, it's allowed under Islam, for people living here or something of this nature, if you ask me, you know, none of those arguments are acceptable whatsoever.
Buying a house on mortgage, this is interest, and this is haram, like any other interest transaction. So a problem arises where now a person becomes Muslim, and he has this contract, you know, he signed this contract to pay, maybe he signed it, you know, 20 years before his Muslim and now is paying interest. And he has this interest related contract, and what should he do?
Now, I've actually heard some people say, Well, you know, it's gonna cause him a lot of harm, maybe if he sells this house, so therefore, it can go ahead and keep this house and then and so on.
I don't think this is the proper advice. I don't think this is the proper ruling in the first place. But I don't think this is the proper advice to give the Muslim
it could be the case, obviously, that a no convert to Islam.
No Muslim maybe is not at the level of faith, strength of faith, that he needs to be where he can, for example, give up his house, because of his new religion.
And we should understand that we should show some sympathy for to them that we understand that right now, you're not at that point, where you're strong enough, for example, just because you're dealing an interest, you may not even think, you know, coming from an American background, you might not think interest is such a big deal anyway, even though the verse in the Quran are so strong about it, you think it's you know, it's not that big of a deal of interest, you're not killing anyone, right? You're not committing illegal sexual intercourse, it's just interest. So your your level of faith, your attachment to Islam may not be strong enough right now
may not be strong enough right now to lead you to do that thing.
To lead you to give up interest and give up your Morgan silver.
And that is, to some extent, understandable. But that does not excuse the action.
In other words, you have to understand that even if you're not strong enough to do it, now, you should have in your mind, the idea that someday, you're going to be strong enough to do it. And that you want to work towards that goal. Because you understand that it is wrong.
You understand that being involved in interest is wrong. And regardless of the fact that this contract maybe took place two years ago, you're still involved in know,
if you had illicit relations with a woman before Islam, you're not going to continue them after Islam. And just say, Well, you know, we were, you know, we've been living together for five years now. And we've been, we've been hitched up for this time, well, I'll just continue. Now, obviously, you don't do that. So similarly, with respect to Reba, you have to understand that this is something that you have to go you have to give up that girlfriend that you're living with, that might have been difficult.
Maybe you didn't lose money or you might have but you know, you maybe didn't lose money giving up that girlfriend but you realize that you had to do assembly you have to come to the point and try to make yourself strong enough that you're also willing to give up this for the sake of Allah.
So it might be something you know, we can understand maybe it might be difficult for you now we'll show sympathy and kindness and so forth. But at the same time, you yourself should try to lead yourself to the ultimate goal of giving up that transaction which involves Riba.
Now by the way, also long
Have a lot of Muslims, especially since a lot of converts, our students in school and so forth, a lot of Muslims may have
may have student loans. And so therefore they're paying interest on a monthly basis. Or they may have credit card loans from before they were
before they were Muslim, or credit card debt before they're Muslim. And so therefore, they are actively involved, so to speak, and paying interest right now.
So again, the same kind of thing, they should try their best to free themselves from that situation as quickly as possible.
And in fact, freeing themselves from that situation, you know, paying extra, for example, on the on the credit card or on the student loans, paying extra in order to get the balance down as quickly as possible. This might even take precedence over giving charity, because stopping what is haram sometimes takes precedence over even starting something or doing something which is good.
So the goal again, the individual has to realize that this is not right. Obviously, since these are things you entered into before Islam, the sin of them may not be as great obviously as if you do it now. Or if a Muslim who knows there was wrong does it. And obviously, that's the case no one, no one will argue with that. But at the same time, your ultimate goal again should be to free yourself from anything which is haram, including these kinds of transactions. And quickly obviously, any kind of fraud or deception,
as the policy seldom said, Unless you have at least a minute.
Whoever commits deception or fraud, that people is not one of us, any kind of fraud or deception has to be avoided by a Muslim and all of his transactions. Now, any kind of cheating, any kind of deception, whether it's done towards a Muslim or non Muslim, obviously it is haram in Islam. So, Muslims should have the best of business ethics. But we see that we see from these last few lectures that basically all of your interactions with anyone that you meet, even with animals and the environment and wealth and property, whatever, you have to do your best to make sure that all of your interactions are based on and under the guidance of Islam, you behave properly in all of these
different interactions. And in so doing inshallah, you will be pleasing Allah subhanho wa Taala