Riba (usury) has been clearly and explicitly prohibited in the Qur’an
and Sunna. Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, have
declared war on those who do not abstain from it.

These are some of the relevant ayats regarding Riba.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

Allah obliterates riba but He makes sadaqa grow in value!

Allah does not love any persistently ungrateful wrong-doer.

Qur’an (2, 275)

 

O you who believe! Show fear of Allah

and forgo any remaining riba if you are believers.

Qur’an (2, 277)

 

If you do not, know it means war from Allah and His Messenger.

If you turn in repentance you may have your capital,

without wronging and without being wronged.

multiplied and then remultiplied.

Show fear of Allah

so that perhaps you may be successful.

We made unlawful for them some good things

which had previously been lawful for them;

and because of their obstructing many people from the way of Allah,

and because of their practising riba when they were forbidden to do it,

and because of their consuming people’s wealth by wrongful means.

We have prepared a painful punishment

for those among them who reject.

Qur’an (4, 159-160)

 
Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said the following concerning

the gravity of Riba:

Abu Huraira said that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa

sallam, said: “Riba is of seventy different kinds, the least grave being

equivalent to a man marrying (i.e. having sexual intercourse with) his

own mother.”

(transmitted by Ibn Majah, Baihaqi)

 

Abdallah ibn Hanzala reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu

alayhi wa sallam, said: “A dirham of Riba, which a man receives

knowingly, is worse than committing adultery thirty-six times.”

(Ahmad) Baihaqi transmitted it, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, with

the addition that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, continued to

say: “Hell is more fitting for him whose flesh is nourished by the

Haram.”

(transmitted by Ahmad)

 

Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa

sallam, as saying: “On the night I was taken up to heaven I came

upon people whose bellies were like houses which contained snakes

which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked Jibril who they

were and he told me they were people who had consumed Riba.”

(transmitted by Ahmad, Ibn Majah)

 

Samura bin Jundab reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu

alayhi wa sallam, said: “This night I dreamt that two men came and

took me to a holy land whence we proceeded on till we reached a river

of blood, where a man was standing, and on its bank was standing

another man with stones in this hand. The man in the middle of the

river tried to come out, but the other threw a stone at his mouth and

forced him to go back to his original place. Whenever he tried to come

out the other threw a stone at his mouth and forced him to go back. I

asked: “Who is this?” I was told: “The person in the river was one who

consumed Riba.”

(transmitted by Bukhari)

 

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, cursed the one

who takes Riba, the one who gives Riba, the one who records the

transaction and the two witnesses thereof. He said they are equally

guilty.

(transmitted by Muslim)