Financial prohibitions in Islam

Stocks, money, bonds, T-bills, market accounts, certificates of deposits, variable-

interest checking and saving accounts, and many other financial dealings that have
become a fact in our life.

But what we're concerned with here is how can we stick to the Islamic teachings regarding
various financial issues?! And what are the financial prohibitions in Islam?

1- Gambling:

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones and divination by arrows, are an

abomination, of Satan's handiwork, so avoid such abomination, in order that you may
be successful."Qur'an (5:90)

Today gambling has taken many forms, such as the lottery which itself is of different types, the
most known is to buy numbers, and different prizes are given to the winning numbers. This is
definitely forbidden even if some say it is for charitable causes.

Any type of gambling game is included in this category. Nowadays there exist clubs just for
gambling, where 'green tables' are reserved for this abominable sin, there is also betting for
football games, and other sports games, these are also considered unlawful gambling.

2- Stealing:

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"Cut off the hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they
committed, a punishment by way of example from Allah. And Allah is Ail-Powerful,
All-Wise."Qur'an (5:38)

Among the biggest crimes of stealing is stealing from the persons who come to the House of
Allah for Hajj or Umrah. These types of thieves do not give any respect to Allah's punishment,
while they are in the most sacred place on earth, around His House.

Another horrible crime is stealing from the funds of the Muslim community. Some people who
do it say, 'We do what many other people are doing.’ They do not realize that they are stealing
from all the Muslims, because the public funds are the property of all the Muslims, and the fact
that other people do it is not an excuse to follow them. Some people steal from people they
consider non Muslims, arguing that they are disbelievers. Of course this is not permissible.

Another type of stealing is to steal from other people's pockets. Some people steal from their
hosts' houses, others steal from their guests' purses, others shoplift. Some people think it is
permissible to steal things as long as they are of small or insignificant value. Prophet
Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Allah cursed the thief, he steals the egg and then his hand is cut off, and he steals
the rope and then his hand is cut off." (Bukhari)

Any person who steals anything should return it back to its owner and return to Allah and ask
for His Forgiveness, whether he returns it openly or in secret, by himself or through an
intermediary. If he is unable to return the property to its owner or to his inheritors after him,
then he may give it to any charity organisation and intend the reward for its owner.

3- Accepting and Giving Bribes:

This another source of unlawful money, which Allah has forbidden. Giving a bribe to a judge or
a ruler in order to incur injustice is a crime, for it leads to unfairness in ruling by taking away
people's rights, and it leads to the spread of corruption.

Allah says:"And eat up not one another's property unjustly, nor give bribery to the
rulers that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully."Qur'an
(2:18)

Abu Hurairah narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Allah curses the bribe giver and the bribe taker in ruling cases."

However, bribes given by a person to take back what rightfully belongs to him, or to ward off
an injustice, and which could not be accomplished otherwise, are not included in this type of
cursed bribes. On the contrary it is considered means of regaining one's rights.

Bribes nowadays are looked at as a more profitable source of income than some employees'
salaries, to the extent that it has become a clause in many companies' budgets under different
cover names. It has also corrupted many employees at the expense of their employers, so that
the good service (or merchandise) is presented only to the one who gives bribe. As for the
others, they are neglected or their service is postponed. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has cursed
those who participate in this crime, saying:

"Allah's curse be upon the bribe giver and the bribe taker." (Narrated by Ibn Majah)

Once the fear of Allah is absent, then power and cunning is abused in wrongdoings, such as to
lay claim to people's properties, and to confiscate their land. The punishment for this deed is
severe, for Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Whoever wrongfully takes away a land, will sink into the seventh earth on the Day of
Judgment."(Bukhari)

Also Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Whoever wrongfully takes even a span of the hand from a land, Allah will order him
to dig it down to the seventh earth, then He will fence it on the Day of Judgment until
He judges between people."

4- Denying the Employees Their Money:

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has stressed the importance of paying the worker as soon as he
finishes his task, saying:

"Give the worker his pay before his sweat dries up."

It is prohibited to delay paying the workers and the employees. And this takes various forms:
Denying the employee his entire salary when the employee has no proof of his work: Even if
the employee's right is lost in this life, it will not be lost on the Day of Judgment.

Another form is giving the employee only part of his salary, without having any lawful reason.

Allah says:

"Woe to al-Mutaffifeen (those who decrease the rights of others)." Qur'an (83:1)

Another example is assigning the employee additional tasks or making him work overtime,
without giving him any compensation.

5- Asking for money when not in need:

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Whoever asks for money while he has what suffices him has asked for a lot of Hellfire's
embers." People asked him, "What is the sufficient amount of money above which one should
not ask?" He said, "The amount he needs for his lunch and dinner." ( Narrated Abu Dawud)

Also the Prophet (PBUH) said:

"Whoever asks for money while he has what suffices him, will have scratches or bruises on his
face on the Day of Judgment."

He also said:

"Whoever asks people for their money to increase his wealth, has asked for embers, so let him
ask a little or a lot."

Some may ask for other's financial help although they are well off. Others lie and bring falsified
documents and invent stories to win people's sympathy and take money from then. On the other hand
there are others who are in bad need for money yet they never ask for people's help, people who do not
know them think they are not in need because of their modesty.

6- Taking a loan without having the intention of paying it back:

Allah has given high respect and importance to people's rights. A person may be forgiven when he does
not fulfill Allah's rights if he repents, but he can not escape from fulfilling people's right before a Day
comes where accounts are not settled by money, but by good deeds and sins.

Allah says:

"Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are
due." Qur'an (4:58)

It has become common nowadays that people borrow money without having the intention of giving it
back. For some people do not borrow to fulfill a basic need, but to live more comfortably and to compete
with others in buying new cars, new furniture, and things of the kind.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) warned us of the punishment of this act saying:

"Whoever takes people's money with the intention of paying it back, Allah will carry out [this
burden] for him. And whoever takes people's money with the intention to loose it [i.e., not pay
it back] Allah will destroy him."

Unfortunately when it comes to the matter of borrowing, people are so careless and lax although it is a
serious thing in the sight of Allah.

Repaying debts is very serious that even the martyr, in spite of the great sacrifice he offered, the great
reward he will get and the high position he will gain, cannot escape from paying his debt.

For the Prophet (PBUH) said:"Praise to Allah, how Allah has stressed the seriousness of debt. By
the One Who my soul is in His Hands, if a man were killed for the sake of Allah, then
resurrected, then killed again, then resurrected then killed again, and he had a debt, he will not
enter Paradise until his debt is paid for him."

7- Eating what is Unlawfully Gained:

He, who does not fear Allah, does not give much attention to whether he acquires or spends his money in
a lawful way. He is mostly concerned with increasing his wealth even if it were ill-gotten and Haram, were
it by stealing, or bribing, or confiscation, or forgery, or illegal sale, or usury, or eating the wealth of an
orphan, or getting paid for an unlawful act such as prostitution, fortune-telling, stealing public properties,
or taking people's money by force, or asking people their money while not in need for it, etc...

If he spends this money on his food, clothing, a new car and build or rent a house, hence Haram have
entered his body, And so Allah would never accept his prayers until he gets purified for such ill-gotten
money.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Any meat that has grown from ill-gotten wealth, then hellfire is more deserving of it."

On the Day of Judgment Allah will ask everyone of us how he acquired his money and how he spent it.

Thus whoever has any ill-gotten money that is still in his possession, should indeed get rid of it. If it is
another person's property, he should return it back to him and ask for his forgiveness, before a Day will
come when the accounts are not settled with dollars and cents, but by good deeds and sins.

Some Muslims think that by abandoning these forbidden practices, they will incur a lot of hardships, and
that the sources of their subsistence will be dried up.

On the contrary, following God's Shari'ah (God's Commands) and putting one's trust in Allah is the original
source for all we need in our lives.

Allah says:

"And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out
from every difficulty. And He will provide for him from sources he never could imagine. And
whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him."Qur'an (65:2-3)