Qurbani: Obligatory Despite Debt? New

Understanding the Obligation of Qurbani in Times of National Debt: An Islamic Perspective

Question:

It is being said that Qurbani (sacrifice) is not obligatory for the Pakistani nation at this time because the entire nation is in debt. Therefore, we should first fully participate in the “Qarz Utaro Mulk Sanwaro” (Pay Off Debt, Build the Nation) scheme. We should only perform the Qurbani after this debt has been paid off. Please clarify this issue in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

(Reference: https://www.urdufatwa.com/view/1/20855)

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Answer:

Jewish, Christian, and irreligious nations are constantly weaving webs of conspiracy against the religion of Islam. This also appears to be a link in the same chain. To abolish an important Sunnah like Qurbani through the means of an interest-based loan is a great crime. It is correct that a person can take a loan for their life necessities. There are several clear texts for this in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and Shari’ah also commands us to repay this loan. However, taking a loan on interest, meaning the payment of an additional amount with the loan, is Haram (forbidden), as is stated in several narrations that:

“كُلُّ قَرْضٍ جَرَّ مَنْفَعَةً فَهُوَ رِبًا؛ “

“Every loan that brings a benefit is Riba (usury/interest).”

(Tafsir Ahsan-ul-Bayan, p. 121)

In the era of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), if a loan was not repaid, the principal amount would keep increasing due to compounded interest, to the point that even a small sum would become a mountain, the repayment of which would be extremely burdensome. Allah the Almighty revealed several verses to end this system, in which it was declared completely forbidden.

Allah the Almighty commanded that if a person is in straitened circumstances and in need and takes a loan, then give him respite until it is easy for him. If the loan is forgiven, it is deemed better. There are also several authentic and explicit hadiths regarding its virtue. There is a vast difference between the usurious system and the Islamic system. The usurious system is entirely based on oppression, transgression, cruelty, and selfishness. This is because the one who takes interest does not see the position of the one to whom the money was given as a loan; he is only concerned with his fixed profit. In contrast, the religion of Islam is a system of friendship, empathy, cooperation, and supporting one another. If Muslims do not adopt this merciful system, what fault is it of Islam?

Nawaz Sharif’s “Qarz Utaro Mulk Sanwaro” scheme is purely based on this usurious system because the principal amount to be repaid is very small, whereas it has been increased many times over in the form of compounded interest. Therefore, Nawaz Sharif, as a Muslim, should announce that we will only return the principal amount. We will not pay the remaining interest-based amount because Allah has forbidden interest, and the one who consumes interest has been declared as one who wages war against Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). Regarding the prohibition of interest, Allah’s declaration is:

﴿يـٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا لا تَأكُلُوا الرِّبو‌ٰا۟ أَضعـٰفًا مُضـٰعَفَةً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُم تُفلِحونَ ﴿١٣٠﴾… سورة آل عمران

“O you who have believed, do not consume Riba, doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 130)

The noble Prophet (ﷺ), while condemning interest, has cursed it, as is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (RA):

“عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ: ( لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ آكِلَ الرِّبَا، وَمُؤْكِلَهُ، وَكَاتِبَهُ ، وَشَاهِدَيْهِ ) ، وَقَالَ: (هُمْ سَوَاءٌ) “

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who consumes Riba, the one who pays it, its scribe, and its two witnesses,” and he said, “They are all equal (in sin).”

(Muslim (1598), Musnad Ahmad 3/304, Abu Ya’la 3/377, Bayhaqi 5/275, Sharh al-Sunnah 8/54)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Juhaifa (RA) that:

“عَنْ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ أَبِي اشْتَرَى عَبْدًا حَجَّامًا فَأَمَرَ بِمَحَاجِمِهِ فَكُسِرَتْ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ: نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ثَمَنِ الكَلْبِ وَثَمَنِ الدَّمِ، وَنَهَى عَنِ الوَاشِمَةِ وَالمَوْشُومَةِ، وَآكِلِ الرِّبَا وَمُوكِلِهِ، وَلَعَنَ المُصَوِّرَ.”

“I saw my father buy a slave who was a cupper. He ordered his cupping instruments to be broken, and they were broken. I asked him the reason, and he said, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the price of a dog, the price of blood, the woman who tattoos and the one who gets tattooed, the one who consumes Riba and the one who pays it, and he cursed the image-maker.'”

(Bukhari with Fath al-Bari 3/314 (2086), Musnad Ahmad 4/308-09, Musnad Tayalisi (1143), Tabarani Kabir 22/20, Bayhaqi 2/9)

(Similarly, this hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (RA) in Sunan Abu Dawud (3333), Tirmidhi (1206), Muslim (2277), Musnad Ahmad 1/393, 394, 453, 403, Musnad Tayalisi (343), Ibn Hibban (1112), Bayhaqi 5/275)

In another place, Allah the Almighty states:

﴿الَّذينَ يَأكُلونَ الرِّبو‌ٰا۟ لا يَقومونَ إِلّا كَما يَقومُ الَّذى يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيطـٰنُ مِنَ المَسِّ ذ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُم قالوا إِنَّمَا البَيعُ مِثلُ الرِّبو‌ٰا۟ وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ البَيعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبو‌ٰا… ﴿٢٧٥﴾… سورة البقرة

“Those who consume Riba 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 Riba.’ But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden Riba.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 275)

In another place, He says:

﴿يـٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَروا ما بَقِىَ مِنَ الرِّبو‌ٰا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ ﴿٢٧٨﴾ فَإِن لَم تَفعَلوا فَأذَنوا بِحَربٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ وَإِن تُبتُم فَلَكُم رُءوسُ أَمو‌ٰلِكُم لا تَظلِمونَ وَلا تُظلَمونَ﴿٢٧٩﴾… سورة البقرة

“O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of Riba, if you should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal – thus you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 278-279)

In this noble verse, there is such a severe warning that has not been given for the commission of any other calamity or disobedience. That is why Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (RA) said that if a person in an Islamic state is not prepared to give up Riba, it is the responsibility of the ruler of the time to make him repent, and if he does not desist, to behead him. (See Tafsir Ibn Kathir, etc.)

But the situation in our country is even worse than this. Here, it is not an individual, but the Muslim rulers themselves are bent on maintaining the usurious system and are so entangled in this system that they do not even speak of getting out. Whereas the noble Prophet (ﷺ), who was also a ruler, along with prohibiting interest, completely abolished the entire usurious system that existed from the time of Jahiliyyah, as is mentioned in a long hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir (RA) regarding the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet (ﷺ). In it, he (ﷺ) said in his last sermon:

“وربا الجاهلية موضوع، وإن أول ربا أضع ربانا ربا عباس بن عبد المطلب”

“Indeed, all the Riba of Jahiliyyah is abolished. The first Riba that I abolish is our Riba, the Riba of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.”

(This hadith is narrated with different wordings in Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Hajj (147), Musnad Ahmad (5/73), Al-Muntaqa by Ibn al-Jarud (468), Muwatta’, Kitab al-Buyu’ (83), Ibn Majah 2/1025 (3074), Abu Dawud with ‘Awn 2/128, etc.)

Furthermore, in Musnad Ahmad 5/73, (20172), it is stated that he (ﷺ) also said:

“فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ “

“You are entitled to your principal. Neither should you do wrong, nor should you be wronged.”

Meaning, if you take more than the principal, it will be an injustice from your side, and if you are not given even the principal, it will be an injustice to you.

From the aforementioned authentic hadith, it is known that if a person has engaged in a transaction involving interest, upon learning of its prohibition, he should terminate the entire deal and take only his principal capital.

Therefore, our government should raise the flag of Jihad and return only the principal amount that was taken as a loan from these Jewish banks, not the compounded interest on it. No Muslim ruler should support such a usurious system; rather, he should wage jihad to abolish it. The attempt to entangle the entire nation in this same usurious system is extremely regrettable, and for the nation to deposit such a huge sum to pay off interest is cooperation in interest, which is legally forbidden. Allah says:

﴿ وَتَعاوَنوا عَلَى البِرِّ وَالتَّقوىٰ وَلا تَعاوَنوا عَلَى الإِثمِ وَالعُدو‌ٰنِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَديدُ العِقابِ﴿٢﴾… سورةالمائدة

“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 2)

It is clear that cooperating in this usurious activity is a sin and is tantamount to inviting the punishment of Allah. Moreover, the loans from Jewish banks have been taken by capitalists and feudal lords; the government should apprehend these families and recover the principal amount from them. The poor masses should not be dragged into this matter.

Therefore, to declare the entire nation indebted without cause and deprive them of a great Sunnah like Qurbani is also a conspiracy against Islam and support for Judaism. Every Muslim who wishes to perform Qurbani should protect himself from this conspiracy and should not abandon the Sunnah of Ibrahim (Abraham).

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وَبِاللّٰہِ التَّوْفِیْقُ

(And with Allah is all success)

ھٰذٙا مٙا عِنْدِی وٙاللہُ تٙعٙالیٰ اٙعْلٙمْ بِالصّٙوٙاب

(This is what I know, and Allah the Exalted knows best what is correct)

Source: Aap ke Masail aur un ka Hal, Volume 2, Kitab al-Adhiyah, Page 323