RIBA (USURY OR TAKING AND CHARGING INTEREST)

Abstract

Riba is an exchange of Ribawi elements where there is a difference in time
and/or quantity. The Ribaaawi elements mentioned by the prophet are gold for
gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and
salt for salt. By a similar analogy, money is similar to gold and silver where
it is a modern way of exchange. Therefore a contract of exchange between the
insurer and insured contains a Ribawi element, i.e. levels of compensation
involving varying amounts and time scales.
The strict prohibition of interest in Islam is because of the following reasons.
(Qaradawi, 2001). Taking of interest implies appropriating aanother person’s
property without giving them aanything in exchange, because the one whom
lends the other one dollar for one dollar plus gets the extra for nothing.
Dependent on interest prevent people from working to earn money, since
the person with one dollar can earn extra dollars through interest either in
advance or on later date without working for it. If it is happen to capital owner
then they would not invest in the industry, trade and commerce, building and
construction, as they will get extra earning without necessarily doing all of
the hard work.
Permitting the taking of interest discourages people from doing good to
one another. If interest is prohibited in a society, people will lend to each other
with a good will, expecting back no more then what they have lent. Riba is
also totally prohibited in Islam as because it tends to create unfair or injustice
treatment between one party with another. It also exploits one by the others.
In Ribawi economic the rich one tends to get more benefit compares with the
poor one. The gap between the rich one and the poor one is becoming bigger and
bigger as Riba have a spiral impact on increasing price for goods.