Money, from an Islamic perspective, is a means of trade, exchange of commodities, services, and construction. However, when we lend money to earn a profit, we deprive money of its chief purpose as a means of exchange and development, and we turn it into a goal in itself.
Interests, or usury, that are imposed on loans is a motivation for the loaners as they are not liable to loss. Consequently, the accrued profits that loaners get throughout the years will increase the gap between the rich and the poor. In the recent decades, governments and institutions got involved in this field on a wider range as we have witnessed many examples of the collapse of economic systems in some countries. Usury has the ability to spread corruption in society in such a way that no other crime can ever do. [282]
Allah Almighty said: Based on the Christian principles, Thomas Aquinas condemned usury, or usurious loans. The church, owing to its important religious and worldly role, managed to generalize the prohibition of usury to its subjects after it had already forbidden clergymen from practicing it since the second century. According to Thomas Aquinas, the causes behind the prohibition of interest is that it cannot be the price paid for the loaner's wait, i.e., the price of the time that the loaner already owns, as they deem this procedure a trade dealing. In the past, Aristotle used to believe that money is nothing but a means of trade not a method of gaining interests. As for Plato, he used to believe that interests entail exploitation practiced by the rich over the poor from among the society members. Moreover, usurious transactions prevailed during the time of the ancient Greeks. At that time, the creditor was entitled to sell the debtor in the slave market if the latter failed to repay his debt. The Romans' state was not different. It is worthy to mention that this prohibition was not subject to religious influences since it occurred more than three centuries before Christianity, bearing in mind that the Gospel forbade its followers from dealing in usury, and so did the Torah before that.
{O you who believe, do not consume usury, doubled and multiplied. And fear Allah, so that you may succeed.} [283] Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 130.
{Whatever you lend in usury in order to gain more at the expense of people’s wealth, it will not increase [in reward] with Allah. But whatever you give as charity, seeking Allah’s pleasure – it is they who will have multiple reward.} [284] Surat ar-Rūm: 39.
Usury was also forbidden in the Old Testament as we find in the Book of Leviticus, the following is an example of many others:
"If your brother becomes poor and was in need of you, you should support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, and let your brother live with you. You should not lend him your money by usury, nor give him your food for profit." [285]
As previously mentioned, it is well-known that Moses' legislation is the same as that of Jesus according to what was mentioned in the New Testament quoting Jesus. Book of Leviticus 25: 35-37.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." [286] Gospel of Matthew 5: 17-19.
Thereupon, usury is forbidden in Christianity as it was forbidden in Judaism.
The Noble Qur’an also states:
{For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We prohibited for them good things that were lawful for them; and for their frequent hindering many from the way of Allah, and for their taking usury, although it was forbidden to them, and for unjustly consuming people’s wealth. We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.} [287] Surat an-Nisā’: 160-161.
Allah Almighty has made man distinct from all other creatures by the faculty of mind. He has forbidden us from whatever could harm us, our minds, or our bodies. Thus, He has forbidden us from everything causing intoxication since it conceals and harms the mind and it leads to various types of corruption. The one who is drunk may kill others, commit adultery, steal, or commit any of such grave crimes that result from consuming intoxicants.
Allah Almighty said:
{O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters and divining arrows are of Satan’s evil work; therefore avoid such [evil], so that you may be successful.} [288] Surat al-Mā’idah: 90.
Intoxicants refer to everything that causes intoxication regardless of its name or form, as the Prophet said: "Everything that causes intoxication is an Khamr (intoxicant), and everything that causes intoxication is unlawful." [289] Narrated by Muslim.
It has been forbidden on account of the grave damage it causes to the individual and society.
Intoxicants were also forbidden in Christianity and Judaism; however, the majority today do not comply with this.
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink leads to brawl, and whoever is led astray by one of them is not wise." [290] Book of Proverbs, Chapter 20, verse 1.
"And do not get drunk with wine, which involves dissipation." [291] Book of Ephesians, Chapter 5, verse 18.
In 2010, the famous medical magazine, The Lancet, published a research on drugs with the most destructive effects on the individual and society. The study was based on 20 drugs including alcoholic drinks, heroin, tobacco and others. They were evaluated according to 16 criteria, nine of which were related to the harm inflicted on the consumer himself and seven were related to the harm inflicted on others, and the evaluation was out of one hundred degrees.
The conclusion drawn, considering both the individual and communal harm together, was that alcohol is absolutely the most harmful among all drugs and it was ranked number one.
Another study that tackled the safe consumption rate of alcohol stated:
"Zero is the safe consumption rate of alcohol to avoid the loss of lives given the diseases and injuries that result from consuming it." Researchers declared this clearly in a report published on the website of the famous scientific magazine, Lancet, itself. The study included the biggest data analysis on this topic until now. It comprised 28 million people from around the globe representing 195 countries during the period from 1990 to 2016 to estimate the extent of alcohol consumption and the consumed quantities, using 694 informational sources, and how such consumption is related to health risks resulting from alcohol that were derived from 592 studies conducted before and after sickness. Results revealed that alcohol causes the death of 2.8 million people around the world annually.
In this context, researchers recommended that actions must be taken to impose taxes on alcohol to restrict its availability in the market, and to propagate this as a preliminary step before its prevention from the markets in the future. Allah, the Great, has spoken the truth as He said:
{Is not Allah the Most Just of all judges?} [292] Surat at-Tīn: 8.