Forum
Comments:
An Odious Thought and a
Plea for Circumspection
Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq
Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
Upper Iowa University
IBF-Net;
2/9/07; Message #6121
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In response to:
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Salam and greetings.
Br. Shohaib Ahmed wrote:
"Raising
the concerns of the abhorred concept 'Riba' as being 'equated to fornicating
over seventy times with ones own mother' specifically to the banking employees."
Though not specifically mentioned or referenced by
Br. Ahmed, this is an often cited narration in the context of riba.
Muslims should be extremely careful about attributing anything to the Prophet,
as he has given stern warning against such mis-attribution. While the actual
warning is about deliberate mis-attribution, we should be very careful about
using or quoting hadith without appropriate corroboration.
There is no such hadith that can be regarded as
authentic. Ibn Majah is one
of the collections in which this narration is presented. However, Ibn Majah
has added the following comments about that hadith. "According to al-Zawa'id,
its isnad contains in it Najsh b. Abdur Rahman Al Ma'shar. The scholars
are unanimous on declaring him daif [i.e., weak]." [Sunan
Ibn Majah, Vol. 3, #2274, p. 351.]
IF the punishment for adultery is stoning to
death, and riba is a greater sin than adultery, and since Allah has
declared war against those who persist in riba, then maybe an actual
war should take place to get rid of riba. However, the notion of
fornicating with one's mother is an odious notion, as it trivializes even zina,
let alone fornicating with one's own mother. How is really the relative
seriousness of riba (and it is serious) is indicated by this analogy of
fornicating with one's own mother? Even if there were a hadith that was sahih
by isnad (chain of narrations) would have been subject to scrutiny due to such
odious thought. The reality is that there is not even a hadith on this matter
that is sahih by isnad.
Thus, riba is haram and it is a terrible
thing about which Muslims should be duly circumpsect, but unacceptable hadith
should not be used for this purpose.
Fi amanillah.
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