RIBA: THE TYRANNY OF INFLATED VALUE IN THE QUR’AN
💰 RIBA: THE TYRANNY OF INFLATED VALUE IN THE QUR’AN 1️⃣ WHAT IS RIBA? ONLY INTEREST? In the Qur’an, riba is not limited to bank interest. It means unearned increase, inflation, or unnatural growth. The Arabic root ر ب و (r-b-w) means “to swell, to rise.” 📖 Example: “When you look at the earth, you see it lifeless; then, when We send down water upon it, it stirs, swells ( rabat ), and produces every kind of beautiful growth.” (Hajj 22:5) Even soil, when it swells, produces life only if it is full within. Riba seems inflated but lacks real productivity. Thus the Qur’an says: “Allah destroys riba but increases charity.” (Baqarah 2:276) 🌪️ Riba is a hollow growth—destined for destruction by God. 2️⃣ APPARENTLY TRADE, ACTUALLY OPPRESSION “They say, ‘Trade is like riba.’ But Allah has permitted trade and forbidden riba.” (Baqarah 2:275) According to the Qur’an, riba masquerades as legitimate trade but is actually: Unearned profit Unjust increase One-sided exploitat...