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Trading By Mutual Consent, Homosexuality, Elements of Major Sins

Issue 240 » September 19, 2003 - Rajab 22, 1424

General

Living the Quran

Al-Nisa (Women)
Chapter 4: Verse 29

Trading by Mutual Consent
"Believers! Do not devour one another's possessions wrongfully; rather than that, let there be trading by mutual consent."

The Expression 'wrongfully' embraces all transactions which are:

1. opposed to righteousness, and
2. either legally or morally reprehensible.

By contrast, 'trade' signifies the mutual transfer of benefits between the parties concerned, such as that underlying those transactions in which one person provides whatever satisfies the needs of another person and is paid in return.

'Mutual consent' means that the exchange should be free of:

1. undue pressure,
2. fraud, and
3. deception.

Wrongful Transactions:

  • Although bribery and interest apparently represent transactions based on mutual consent, closer examination reveals that such consent takes place by constraint and under pressure.
  • In games of chance, too, the participants seem to consent freely to the outcome. This kind of consent, however, is due to the expectation entertained by the participants that they will win. No one takes part anticipating loss.
  • Fraudulent transactions also seem to be based on the mutual consent of the parties concerned. That kind of consent, however, is based on the false assumption that no fraud is involved in the transaction. Nobody who knew that he would be subjected to fraud would consent to be a party to that transaction.

Source:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Syed Abul Ala Mawdudi, vol 2, p. 32
Understanding the Prophet's Life

The original issue contained a misunderstanding of the Prophet's life that promotes homophobia. The excerpt has been removed in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities (Muslims or otherwise). The violence and oppression against LGBTQ+ communities must stop. We apologize for the harm our original issue has caused and ask Allah's forgiveness.

Cool Concepts!

Elements of Major Sins

Three elements turn an act into a major sin:

1. Violation of rights - be it either the rights of God, of parents, of other human beings or even of one's own self. The greater a person's rights, the greater is the sin in violating them. Hence sin is characterized in the Quran as zulm (wrong-doing). It is for the same reason that associating others with God in His divinity is called the 'great wrong' in the Quran. (Surah Luqman 31:13)

2. Insufficient fear of God, and arrogance and indifference towards Him, as a result of which man does not heed God's commandments, even wilfully violates them, and deliberately desists from carrying them out. The greater the brazenness, temerity and fearlessness with which one disobeys God, the more heinous is the sin in His eyes. It is for this reason that sin is also termed ma'siyah (disobedience) and fisq. (Quran 2: 26, 61; 49:11; 63:6; 11:59; 3:112; 4:42; 5: 78)

3. Sin is aggravated by breaking those bonds and relationships on which the peace and tranquility of social order rest. These bonds include the relationship between a man and his Lord, as well as that between a man and his fellow-beings. The more important a bond is, the greater is the harm done to the peace of human society when that bond is broken. This is why in certain places the Quran uses the term fujur to denote sin. (Quran 75:5; 82:14; 91:8)

Source:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Syed Abul Ala Mawdudi, vol 2, pp. 33-34
Friday Nasiha