Surah Al Baqarah Tafseer

The Necessity of Taqwa and Avoiding Riba

Allah commands His believing servants to fear Him and warns them against what would bring them closer to His anger and drive them away from His pleasure.

Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ

O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah,

meaning, fear Him and remember that He is watching all that you do.

وَذَرُواْ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا

And give up what remains of Riba,

meaning, abandon the Riba that people still owe you upon hearing this warning,

إِن كُنتُم مُّوْمِنِينَ

if you indeed have been believers.

believing in the trade that He allowed you and the prohibition of Riba.

Zayd bin Aslam, Ibn Jurayj, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi said that;

this Ayah was revealed about Bani Amr bin Umayr, a sub-tribe of Thaqif, and Bani Al-Mughirah, from the tribe of Bani Makhzum, between whom were outstanding transactions of Riba leftover from time of Jahiliyyah. When Islam came and both tribes became Muslims, Thaqif required Bani Al-Mughirah to pay the Riba of that transaction, but Bani Al-Mughirah said, "We do not pay Riba in Islam."

Attab bin Usayd, the Prophet's deputy on Makkah, wrote to the Messenger of Allah about this matter. This Ayah was then revealed and the Messenger of Allah conveyed it to Attab.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَذَرُواْ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِن كُنتُم مُّوْمِنِينَ