Dr. Shabbir’s Blog

November 18th, 2007

Mortgage, Insurance, Usury (Interest), Selling Beer, Touching Pork, Lottery, Gambling
Not a day goes without people asking my humble opinion on the above issues.
Questions: 1. They say buying a home on mortgage is not permissible because of having to pay the forbidden interest. Shall we keep living in the rented apartment then? 2. Is insurance forbidden in Islam? 3. I feel guilty working at the bank since all banking is based on usury. What should I do? 4. I feel uncomfortable with doing all banking because they deal in interest. 5. As Muslims we must put our trust in God. Isn’t relying on life insurance ‘Shirk’ and Haram? 6. Insurance must be Haram because the insurance companies thrive on interest. 7. I own a convenience store but I must sell beer. Or, my business will take a nose-dive as it did once. 8. I work at Publix where I have to handle pork and feel very bad about it. 9. Can I play lottery to get lucky?

Answer: Most of those Mullah-oriented people who tell you that, themselves live in mortgaged houses. Hypocrisy is the order of the day among Muslims. While others may be ‘Mushrik’ (idolaters in different forms), the so-called Muslims are both - Mushrik (‘Imam’, Saint-Mullah worshipers) and Munafiq (Hypocrites). The Mullah would rather have Muslims trail behind all other nations - Keep living in rented pigeon holes all your life and never own a property!
CHANGE THE SYSTEM? The problem is in the root and we keep shooting at the branches. What is the problem? - That there is not a single country in the world where the Quranic System is in place. Even living on another planet won’t help. Humans are supposed to live in the equitable, just and benevolent System ordained by the Last Word of God, the Quran, but everywhere we are living in manmade systems. So, our example today is that of the FRESH WATER FISH forced to live in SALT WATER.
Can you and I change the wrong system of life prevalent everywhere? No! So, shall we remain silent spectators? No, again! Our Divinely ordained, mandatory duty is to keep conveying the Quranic Message and we Muslims will be questioned about that in the Court of our Lord. Due to lack of knowledge and often due to our own blunders, non-Muslims think of the Taliban or Saudi ‘Shariah’ laws being imposed as soon as the Quranic System of Life is mentioned. Even the majority of Muslims fail to understand that while the manmade Shariah is a scourge of humanity and Islam, the pristine teachings of the Quran are the most benevolent gift to all mankind.
The Quran repeatedly predicts that the equitable Divine System (Kingdom of God) will ultimately and most certainly prevail over all systems of life.
9:32 They seek to extinguish God’s light (the Quran) by their utterances. But God will not allow this to pass, for He has willed to spread His light in all its fullness even though the rejectors may detest it.

9:33 He is the One Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the True Religion (Deen = The System of Life), that He may cause it to prevail over all religions and systems of life, even though the idolaters may detest it. [9:31-33, 13:31, 14:48, 18:48, 41:53, 48:28, 51:20-21, 61:8-9. Please check all the verses referred to here.]

So, until that time, keep conveying the Quranic Message.

IS PAYING INTEREST HARAM? Read through the entire Quran. You will not find a single verse denouncing the giver of usury. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, always knew that the capitalists elite would exploit the less fortunate. On the other hand, the taker of usury is repeatedly condemned in the strongest terms. While trade is the permissible return on labor, usury is the forbidden return on money. (2:275-279)

INSURANCE: After the exemplary State of Madinah, no state in history has truly guarded human rights and comprehensively catered for the citizens’ needs. Do you know that in the first two centuries of Islam, it had become impossible to find a person willing to accept charity? The State used to take care of all basic needs of all her citizens, regardless of color and creed. That included the provision of job, transportation, food, clothing and shelter, tools for work, unemployment and retirement benefits, disability income and health care. Today, who will take care of your family in case of your untimely demise or disability? Should you be allowed to drive a car without insurance? What will you do without insurance if you have an accident or if your house is destroyed by a hurricane, tornado or flood?

BANKING: Change the internationally established banking system if you can. Or, keep conveying the Quranic Message until those at the helm of affairs see the sublime Quranic alternatives.

SELLING WINE AND BEER: Allah has only forbidden the consumption of alcohol and intoxicants. Related prohibitions, such as selling beer or wine, and numerous other hardships in our lives have been forged by the ‘Imams’, unfortunately, in the name of the exalted Prophet. Stop selling beer, let your business take another plunge, and no Mullah would come to feed your family.

Consider changing your job or business if your conscience keeps bothering you.

LOTTERY: And any form of gambling is prohibited in the Glorious Book.

5:90 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Intoxicants and gambling and games of chance, sacrificing animals on stones (altars of idols) and forecasting the future by such means as arrows, raffles and omens (all) is an immoral handiwork of Satan. Refrain from it that you may prosper.

5:91 By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan, your rebellious and selfish desires, excites you to enmity and hatred among you and hinders you from being conscious of God and following the Divine System. Will you not then abstain?

HANDLING PORK: The Quran forbids only the consumption of swine-flesh. It does not go to extremes. The Old Testament does forbid even touching its carcass.

16:115 He only prohibits for you (consumption of) the dead animal, blood, and swine-flesh and anything that has been dedicated to other than God.

Shabbir, a life long student