On the authority of his father: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say in the Farewell Pilgrimage: "Lo, all claims to usury of the pre-Islamic period have been abolished. You shall have your capital sums, deal not unjustly and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.
Lo, all claims for blood-vengeance belonging to the pre-Islamic period have been abolished. The first of those murdered among us whose blood-vengeance I remit is al-Harith ibn AbdulMuttalib, who suckled among Banu Layth and killed by Hudhayl."
He then said: O Allah, have I conveyed the message? They said: Yes, saying it three times. He then said: O Allah, be witness, saying it three times.
Narrated by Narrated Sulaiman b. 'Amr:
Context
During the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) declared that all claims to usury from the pre-Islamic period are abolished. He emphasized justice in financial dealings and the importance of not wronging others. This hadith serves as a foundational principle for ethical financial practices in Islam.
Modern Application
In today's world, this principle encourages individuals to engage in fair financial practices, avoiding exploitative behaviors such as usury. It promotes ethical dealings in business and personal finance, fostering a just economic environment.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Justice and Usury (Riba) because it addresses the prohibition of usury and the importance of justice in financial transactions.
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, "Trade is [just] like interest." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allah. But whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.
And what Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns - it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and orphans and the [stranded] traveler - so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you. And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.
This hadith is #3335 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Commercial Transactions (Kitab Al-Buyu). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Sulaiman b. 'Amr:.