Darulifta Ahlesunnat
(Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and Jurists say about the following: My father has a tractor that he uses to plow other people’s fields for the price of 2000 rupees per acre. My father’s cousin has 20 acres of land. He says, “Take 300,000 rupees from us as a loan which you can pay back later, but in exchange for this loan, charge me 1000 rupees per acre for plowing my land. Now the question is, how is it for my father to take the loan and in exchange for it, charge 1000 rupees instead of 2000 rupees?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
The ‘Usool’ (foundational ruling) is that taking any predesignated benefit because of giving a loan, whether it is explicitly mentioned or understood, is considered interest and is Haram. The Jurists have also stated that taking any convenience or lessening in anyone’s right as a condition in exchange for a loan is also considered interest. That is why in the above-mentioned situation, your father taking the 300,000 rupees and in exchange, charging 1000 rupees per acre rather than the 2000 rupees is giving a benefit as a condition for the loan, which is impermissible, a sin, and considered to be in the category of interest. Therefore, it isn’t allowed in Sharī’aĥ to make such an agreement.
Any type of benefit that is taken as a condition for a loan is from the category of interest. Hence in an answer to a question, The Imam of Ahl Al-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (D. 1340 AH/ 1921 CE) writes about the rules of benefits on loans:
قول منقح ومحرر و اصل محقق ومقرریہ ہے کہ بر بنائے قرض کسی قسم کانفع لینامطلقاً سودوحرام ہے،حدیث میں ہے، حضورسیدعالم صلی اﷲ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم فرماتے ہیں:’’کل قرض جرمنفعۃ فھورباً‘‘ یعنی ہر وہ قرض جو نفع کھینچ کرلائے، وہ سود ہے۔
Translation: The most correct opinion is that getting any type of benefit overall on the basis of a loan is interest and is prohibited. It is mentioned in a Hadith that The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Every loan that brings of benefit is Riba.”
(Kanz Al-‘Ummal, Hadith No. 15156, Vol. 6, p. 238, Publ. Muasisah Al-Risalah, Beirut)
اوراگراس بنا سے جدا ویسے ہی باہمی سلوک کے طورپر کوئی نفع وانتفاع ہو،تووہ مدیون کی مرضی پرہے،اُس کے خالص رضاواذن سے ہو،تو رَوَا ،ورنہ حرام،اب یہ بات کہ یہ انتفاع بربنائے قرض ہے یابطورسلوک اس کے لئے معیار شرط وقراردادہے یعنی اگرقرض اس شرط پردیاکہ نفع لیں گے، تووہ نفع بربنائے قرض حرام ہوا اوراگرقرض میں اس کاکچھ لحاظ نہ تھا، پھر آپس کی رضامندی سے کوئی منفعت بطوراحسان ومروّت حاصل ہوئی،تو وہ بربنائے حسنِ سلوک ہے،نہ بربنائے قرض،تومدارِ کارشرط پرٹھہرا یعنی نفع مشروط،سُود اورنفع غیرِمشروط سودنہیں،بلکہ باذنِ مالک مباح، پھرشرط کی دوصورتیں ہیں:نصاً یعنی بالتصریح قراردادِانتفاع ہوجائے۔اورعُرفاً کہ زبان سے کچھ نہ کہیں،مگربحکمِ رسم ورواج قرارداد معلوم اور داد و سِتَد خود ہی ماخوذ و مفہوم ہو،ان دونوں صورتوں میں وہ نفع حرام وسُودہے۔
Translation: Apart from this, if they just want to do a separate mutual exchange of benefits, the one taking the loan (borrower) has the choice to agree to the terms. If it occurs only with the borrower's permission and agreement it will be permissible, otherwise it is Haram. Now to say whether the benefit is on the basis of the loan or as a separate mutual exchange of favors, this is judged by the conditions of the loan, meaning that if the loan is given with the condition of taking benefit, that means that it is on the basis of the loan, and is therefore Haram. If this benefit was not considered when giving the loan, but later, by the borrower's choice, due to kindness, the benefit was given, that will be on the basis of courtesy not on the basis of the loan. This shows that the foundation is ‘conditioning’; the conditioned benefit is interest, and the unconditioned benefit is not interest, but rather Mubah (permissible).
Every condition has 2 states: by Nass (explicitly) the benefit is mentioned or by Urf which is not spoken with the tongue, but it is customarily known and understood. In both cases, the benefit is considered Haram and interest.
(Fatawa Razawiyah, Vol. 25, p. 223, Publ. Raza Foundation, Lahore)
Another example on attaining benefit from loans is this that the borrower gives some concession to the lender on buying or selling or gives gifts to the lender. Sheikh Al-Islam Abu Al-Hasan Ali B. Husain Sughdi Hanafi رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (D. 461 AH/ 1068 CE) discusses in depth about this example and says:
أنواع الربا:وأما الربا فهو علی ثلاثة أوجه:أحدها في القروض…فأما في القروض فهو علی وجهین: أحدهما أن یقرض عشرة دراهم بأحد عشر درهماً أو باثني عشر ونحوها،والآخر أن یجر إلی نفسه منفعةً بذلک القرض،أو تجر إلیه وهو أن یبیعه المستقرض شيئا بأرخص مما یباع أو یوٴجره أو یهبه…ولو لم یکن سبب ذلک(هذا)القرض لما کان(ذلک ) الفعل، فإن ذلک ربا
(Al-Nutf Fi Al-Fatawa, Kitab Al-Wila, p. 296, Publ. Dar Al-Kutub Al- ‘Ilmiyah, Beirut)
Allamah Ibn Abideen Shami Dimishqi رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ also mentions a similar example.
(Radd Al-Muhtar Ma’a Durr Al-Mukhtar, Book of trades, Vol. 7, p. 38, Publ. Quetta)
The Imam of Ahl Al-Sunnah Imam Ahmad Raza Khanرَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ was asked:
ایک شخص دوسرے کو کچھ رقم بطورِ قرض دیتا ہے اور وہ اس وجہ سے اس سے مارکیٹ ریٹ سے سستی گندم لیتا ہے،تو شرعاً ایسا کرنا کیسا ہے؟
Translation: A man gives someone some money as a loan and due to that, he buys wheat from him for less than the market rate. How is it to do this according to Shari’ah?
To this, he رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ replied,
اگر روپیہ قرض دیا اور یہ شرط کرلی کہ چار مہینے کے بعد ایک روپے کے پچیس ماء (ایک پیمانہ )گیہوں لیں گے اور نرخ بازار پچیس سیر سے بہت کم ہے،تو یہ محض سود اور سخت حرام ہے، حدیث میں ہے:’’کل قرض جرمنفعۃ فھو ربا‘‘جوقرض نفع کو کھینچے وہ سود ہے۔
Translation: If the man gave the money as a loan and made a condition that 4 months later, he will take 25 ‘maa’ (unit of weight) of wheat per every rupee, and the market rate is much less than 25, this is purely interest and Haram. It is mentioned in a Hadith, “کل قرض جرمنفعۃ فھو رباً” meaning ‘Every loan that brings of benefit is Riba.’
(Fatawa Razawiyah, Vol. 17, p. 334, Publ. Raza Foundation, Lahore)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FSD-8974
Date: 27th Zul Hijjah Al-Haraam 1445 AH/ 4th July 2024