002:276

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                           002:276

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ الرِّبٰوا لَا يَقُوۡمُوۡنَ اِلَّا كَمَا يَقُوۡمُ الَّذِىۡ يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ مِنَ الۡمَسِّ‌ؕ  ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّهُمۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّمَا الۡبَيۡعُ مِثۡلُ الرِّبٰوا‌ ۘ‌  وَاَحَلَّ اللّٰهُ الۡبَيۡعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبٰوا‌ ؕ  فَمَنۡ جَآءَهٗ مَوۡعِظَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهٖ فَانۡتَهٰى فَلَهٗ مَا سَلَفَؕ   وَاَمۡرُهٗۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ‌ؕ  وَمَنۡ عَادَ فَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ‌ۚ   هُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ‏   

Ul-la-zee-na-yau-ko-loo-nur-ray-baa-laa-ya-qoo-moo-na                                                          Il-laa-ka-maa-ya-qoo-mool-la-zee                                                                                                    Ya-ta-khub-ba-to-hoosh-shai-taa-no-may-nul-mus-say

Zaa-lay-ka-bay-un-na-hoom-qaa-loo                                                                                                In-na-mul-bai-o-mith-loor-ray-baa                                                                                                    Wa-aa-hul-lul-laa-hool-bai-aa-wa-hur-ra-mur-ray-baa

Fa-mun-jaa-aa-hoo-mao-aiy-za-ton-mir-rub-bay-he                                                                    Fun-ta-haa-fa-la-hoo-maa-sa-la-fa                                                                                                Wa-um-ro-hoo-aiy-lul-laa-hay

 Wa-mun-aa-da-fa-o-laa-aiy-ka-us-haa-boon-naar                                                               Hoom-fee-haa-khaa-lay-doo-n

Those who eat the usury can’t rise and grow                                                                 Except like him who rises                                                                                             Whom Satan turns crazy from (= with) a touch. 

This is because they certainly had said                                                                            That the trading really is like the usury                                                                               But Allah has allowed the trading and prohibited the Usury.

 So he who got a direction from his God                                                                            And he stopped, then for him is what has passed.                                                          And his fate rests with Allah.

 And whoever repeated then all of them would be the inmates of fire                     They in it would abide.

• ٱلَّذِينَ — Ula-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m., 3^rd person article, thing or person; those who)
• يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ — Yau-ko-loo-na — Eat (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. Consume; devour; dine; feed; fill; gulp; insert; intake; partake; put; swallow)
• الرِّبٰوا — Ray-baa — Usury     *      (= n., Compounding interest known as interest-on- interest that goes on multiplying itself as is practiced by the world-wide banking system. The activity, business or demand for lending money on the basis of compounded interest.  Exponentially multiplying interest. Interest inflated with layers upon layers. Hard money loans subjected to harsher, higher and punitive interest rates. See below the Note 002:276)
• لَا — Laa — No (= Absolutely not; not at all; never. Not translating the two words لَا and اِلَّا which together constitute a double negative has led some translations to state what appears to be exactly the opposite of what the original text said)
• يَقُوۡمُوۡنَ — Ya-qoo-moo-na — Rise (= v., pl., m., 3rd person. Appear; confront; develop a high standing in society; enrich; face; get established; grow; stand; take a stand. A/t/a ‘Become rich’)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Besides; excluding; in case; save; unless)
• کَمَا — Ka-maa — Like (= Identical to; in the fashion, line, manner, method, style)
• يَقُوۡمُ — Ya-qoo-mo(ol) — Rises  (= v., s., Makes them rise and stand. See  يَقُوۡمُوۡنَ  above)
• الَّذِىۡ — La-zee — Whom (= s., m., 3^rd person article, thing or person; he who; which)
• يَتَخَبَّطُ — Ya-ta-khub-ba-to — Turns crazy (= v., Affects, bites, causes, dements, downs, drives, hits, infects, influences, leads, makes, prostrates, puts down, smites, touches or turns devourer of usury into a crazy, evil, imbalanced, insane or mad person who has lost control of his mind or power of reasoning. Developed a mental defect or disorder
• هُ — Ho…(osh) — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the aforesaid person)
• الشَّيۡطٰنُ — Shai-taa-no — The Satan (= n., s., A bad, evil or false deity, friend, leader or Satanic companion. The devil. The Evil Embodiment. The evil One. The evil spirited person. The evil personified. Polytheist. Rebellious ringleader. Also, a hypocrite; an idol-worshiper, the insanity or satanic imbalance)
• مِنَ — May-na(ul) — From (= By means of; from the class, category, count or out of)
• الۡمَسِّ‌ — Mus-say — Touch (= n., Affecting, afflicting, contaminating, handling, infecting, influencing, smiting or touching)
• ذٰلِكَ — Zaa-lay-ka — All this (= Right in here)
• بِ — Bay — Because (= The Arabic word  بِ  literally means ‘with’ in English. Here it refers to being with the cause of and so means because, due to, for the reason, under circumstances)
• اَنَّ — Un-na — Certainly (= Definitely; doubtlessly; indeed; positively; surely; verily)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Those who devour usury)
• قَالُوۡا — Qaa-loo — They said (= v., past t., Announced; asserted; claimed; conveyed;  declared; informed; insisted; maintained; professed; replied; specified; stated; told)
• اِنَّ — In-na — Really (= Absolutely; candidly; certainly; clearly; definitely; doubtlessly; positively; surely; verily)
• مَاۤ — Ma…(ul) — What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever)
• الۡبَيۡعُ — Bai-o — The Trading (= n., The activity or business of buying and selling for profit;  bargaining; bartering; buying and selling; exchanging by an even-handed give and take; negotiating; trafficking. See the Note 002:255)
• مِثۡلُ — Mith-lo…(or) — Like (= Case; case study; duplicate; example; likeness; parable; similarity; similitude. A/t/a Attribute)
• الرِّبٰوا — Ray-baa — The Usury   *    (= The activity or business of lending money on compounding interest. See الرِّبٰوا  above )
• وَ — Wa –And / But — (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereas)
• اَحَلَّ — Aa-hul…(ul) — Allowed (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Allowed; approved; authorized; legalized; licensed; permitted; made acceptable, kosher, appropriate or proper. Divinely declared lawful)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho…(ol) — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship
• الۡبَيۡعَ — Bai-aa — The trading (= Activity or business of buying and selling for profit. See الۡبَيۡعُ above)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Additionally; also; although; but. See وَ  above)
• حَرَّمَ — Hur-ra-m(..ur) — Prohibited (= Banned; criminalized; forbidden; made unlawful;  restricted; stopped)
• الرِّبٰوا — Ray-baa — The Usury   *    (= The activity or business of lending money on compounding interest. See الرِّبٰوا  above )
• فَ — Fa — So (= Consequently; as a result; then; thereafter; therefore)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Who (= What; whoever)
• جَآءَ — Jaa-aa — Came to / Got (= v., past., Arrived; became manifest in fulfilling the  divine word; came to pass; positioned; obtained; received; reached; succeeded.  Also, was achieved, brought, delivered, settled)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to aforesaid person)
• مَوۡعِظَةٌ — Mao-aiy-za-toon — Direction (= n., Command, decree, dictate, instruction, law, mandate or order. Also, advice; advisement; example; exemplary precedent; exhortation; lesson; teaching example. A/t/a, Admonition; advice with warning; reprimand; stern guidance; strongly worded guidance)
• مِّنۡ — Min — From (= From the class, category or count or out of)
• رَّبِّ — Rub-bay — God (= The Almighty Allah who fills needs of all creatures; Cherisher; Creator; Guardian; Master; Lord Provident. The Only One Who provides all that sustains life. The Ultimate Provider of air, water, food and whatever we and all other creatures need to live and subsist)
• هٖ — He — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to aforesaid person)
• فَ — Fa..(un) — Then (= As a result; consequently; so; thereafter; therefore)
• انۡتَهٰى — Un-ta-haa — Stopped (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Abstained, avoided, ceased, desisted, ended, kept away, made amends, mended ways, terminated, refrained, restrained, restricted or stayed away from the prohibition-
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; resultantly; so; thereafter; therefore; yet)
• لَ — La — For (= Belonging to him. Keep, pocket or retain the benefit already reaped, interest already received or whatever already earned. A/t/a excused, forgiven or pardoned)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to aforesaid person)
• مَاۤ — Maa — What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever)
• سَلَفَ — Sa-la-fa — Has passed (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Already completed, done, gone, happened or occurred. A/t/a, ‘interest already received’ and ‘shall not be punished for the past’)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Additionally; also; although; but. See وَ  above)
• اَمۡرُ — Um-ro — Fate (= n., s., 1. Affair; matter; task. 2. Case; cause; decision; issue; judgment; problem; punishment )
• هٗ — Hoo — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to aforesaid person)
• اِلَى — Ela…(ul) — To (= Is in the direction or hands of; rests with; towards; with. committed to)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ  — Wa — But (= Additionally; also; although.  See وَ  above)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Whoever (= What; which; whoever)
• عَادَ — Aaa-da — Repeated (= v., Came back, reverted or returned to the prohibited activity or banned practice of lending money on usury)
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; resultantly; so; thereafter; therefore; yet)
• اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ — Olaa-aiy-ka  — All of them (= Refers to all these people talked about)
• اَصۡحٰبُ — Us-haa-bo..(on) — Inmates (= Companions; fellows; friends; heirs; inhabitants; inmates; masters; owners; residents)
• النَّار — Naa-r — Fire (= Hell; hell-fire)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the اَصۡحٰبُ, associates)
• فِىۡ — Fee — In (= Contained in or amidst a duration, event, time, place or several people, periods, things or situations; inside)
• هَا — Haa — It (= pro., s., f., in 3^rd person., Refers to the ٱلنَّارِ, the fire)
• خٰلِدُوۡنَ — Khaa-lay-doo-n — Abide (= Consigned, dwell, live, stay or reside – for a long time. Some translators have inappropriately added here the word ‘forever.’  See details under the verse 002:040)

* Note 002:276.  The Divine Dictate laid down in this verse has prohibited  الرِّبٰوا which means usury. The simple, straightforward and logical translation is “Those who eat the usury can’t rise and grow except like him who rises when Satan turns him crazy from a touch.” 

Some translations elaborated this word to mean Riba An-Nasiah that charges interest on money loaned and includes all activity or business of lending money for profit, simple interest, compounding interest, exponentially multiplying interest, or return inflated with layers upon layers of interest.

Other have included Riba Alfadl that means (a) to get back more quantity of a thing than given, or (b) to get back superior quality of a thing after giving inferior quality of the same.

Some translations make little sense. Contradicting the clear meanings of the text is what one [njd] that said, “Those that live on usury shall rise up before Allah like men whom Satan has demented by his touch.” Also, inapplicable in the current context is to say that they won’t “Rise and stand on the Judgment Day before Allah to beg for clemency, forgiveness and repentance.”

This verse should be read along with the verses 002:277, 002:279, 003:131 and 030:040.

The Commentary titled as the “Law – Usury” also sheds some light on this subject.