The Concept of Riba and Islamic Banking

Book excerpt: Riba (Usury), call it bank-interest if you like, is prohibited by the texts of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This was the conclusion drawn unanimously by the Muslim jurists (fuqaha'); and it is also the decisive view of the vast majority of modern Muslim scholars. Despite this general agreement, a confusion persists in the minds of many, jurists and laymen alike, that even though some forms of interest are prohibited, the simple interest charged by banks may not be prohibited by Islamic law. What is the reason for such a doubt? Why do some uphold prohibition with conviction, while others do not? This book attempts to elaborate the foundations on this prohibition is based, and in doing so removes some of the persistent disagreements.The explanations provided are based upon the works of the earlierjurists so that the discussion is undertaken in a detached manner.