Definition & Ruling

**Linguistic Definition:** Increase, growth. **Legal Definition:** Increase in one of two homogeneous items without anything to compensate for this increase. **Ruling:** Riba is **prohibited** in the Book of Allah. **Evidence from Quran:** - **Quran:** "Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury" [2:275] - **Quran:** "O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains of usury if you are believers" [2:278] **Severe Warning:** - **Quran:** "Those who consume usury will not stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity" [2:275] - They will rise from their graves like the one having a seizure, due to their bellies being swollen from consuming usury in this world **From Sunnah:** The Messenger of Allah ﷺ counted riba among the major sins, and cursed all those involved in riba transactions regardless of their role. **Hadith of Jabir رضي الله عنه:** "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it, and the two witnesses, and said: 'They are all equal'" [Muslim] **Consensus:** The Ummah has unanimously agreed on its prohibition.