Money: Earning, Owing and Giving

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَذَرُواْ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَوٰٓاْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ﴿٢٧٨﴾ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُواْ فَأۡذَنُواْ بِحَرۡبٖ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۖ وَإِن تُبۡتُمۡ فَلَكُمۡ رُءُوسُ أَمۡوَٰلِكُمۡ لَا تَظۡلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧٩﴾

O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.

Context Madinah. Ibn 'Abbas is reported in al-Bukhari as saying the verse on riba was the last revealed.

Believers must drop any interest still owed to them and keep only their principal: no one wrongs and no one is wronged. 2:275 adds that Allah permitted trade and forbade riba.

O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. …

Context The longest verse in the Quran, placed right after the verses on riba.

Write down every debt with a term, small or large, through a fair scribe and with witnesses. The verse says this is more just and prevents doubt between people.

وَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ ﴿١﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ ﴿٣﴾

Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.

Context Opens al-Mutaffifin, "those who give short measure", a surah named after cheating in the market.

Woe to those who demand full measure for themselves but short-change others. 83:4-6 reminds them that they will stand before the Lord of the worlds.

وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرۡ تَبۡذِيرًا ﴿٢٦﴾ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓاْ إِخۡوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورٗا ﴿٢٧﴾ وَإِمَّا تُعۡرِضَنَّ عَنۡهُمُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ رَحۡمَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرۡجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمۡ قَوۡلٗا مَّيۡسُورٗا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ يَدَكَ مَغۡلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبۡسُطۡهَا كُلَّ ٱلۡبَسۡطِ فَتَقۡعُدَ مَلُومٗا مَّحۡسُورًا ﴿٢٩﴾

And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful. And if you [must] turn away from the needy awaiting mercy from your Lord which you expect, then speak to them a gentle word. And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.

Context Part of the moral code of al-Isra, revealed in Makkah.

Give relatives, the poor and travellers their right, and do not waste. If you cannot give, speak gently. Keep the balance: no hand chained to the neck, nor stretched out until nothing is left.