I was just wondering whether in the eye of the Islamic law Mr. Madoff will be the only wrongdoer or the investors might be wrongdoers as well, since they counted on huge profits from interest without investing any of their own work and efforts in the pursuit of the riches? From what I have heard it is wrong to charge interest, but it is also wrong to pay interest or count on benefiting from pure interest.

Originally written by Abdelouadoud El Omrani on April 14, 2009 7:47 AM Liliana, loan with interest is not one of the greatest sins in Islam. It is a sin. The greatest are seven (10 for some) and they don't include interest on money. Let me try to remeber them: 1 - Worshipping any other deity but God, or worshipping anything/anyone silmultaneously with God. 2- To disobey the parents, intended as to treat them badly ecc 3- Black Magic, intended as the use of any stratagems to change the will/free choice of people. Example: divide 2 married persons, make someone love you when he really doesn't ecc. 4- Profit illegally from Orphans money and properties 5- Accuse falsely honest respectable woman with adultery 6- Withdraw during a battle when fighting the enemy 7- False witnessing

 

Salaam Ouadoud,

Is this list found in the Koran itself, or perhaps the hadiths?

I find it interesting that there is considerable, although imperfect, overlap with the Ten Commandments.  In particular, no. 1 is the same in this list and the Ten Commandments.

Salaam David,

As far as I know the rules are extracted from both hadiths and from Koran verses that confirm them indeed.

Yes, concerning number one, I may add this:

In all my readings of the Koran and its exegesis (tafseer: explanation) as well as the main Islamic thinkers, it is really impressive how God communicates His anger and curse upon anyone who worships anything/anyone but Him. In fact, there is one very clear unequivocal verse in the Koran that states that God may forgive any sin except polytheism/idolatry...

Verse 48 of Surat 4 states:

[48] Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.  (1)

And again in Verse 116 same Surat 4, we have almost  the same words:

[116] Allah forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, hath strayed far, far away (from the Right). (2)

To be honest, I think this translation lacks the idea of insistence that is expressed in the original verse with the term (إنّ). We call that in Arabic "Seeghat ta'keed" and it means indeed: an insistence expression.

original verses in Arabic: (in red color: God forgiveth not that partners be worshipped with Him)

(1)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
النساء، 48

(2)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا بَعِيدًا
النساء، 116