( وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ…) (And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly.…): “consuming” does not refer just to the food which enters the stomach.  Can the money be consumed?

Here Allah (swt) speaks about the Muslim’s community, but what is the relation between the prohibition of consuming money unjustly and the fasting? Fasting does not mean to suffer hunger and thirst, but to achieve piety and closeness to Allah (swt).

{وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ }

(And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near.  I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.)

But what are the conditions for answering the supplication? The Prophet (saws) mentioned the case of: “

“a man who having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying “O Lord! O Lord!,” while his food is haram (unlawful), his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can his supplication be answered? “[1]

He who is fed from (haram) unlawful and consumes money in unjust would not be answered.  He does not belong to pious people, and his fasting is just an act of abstaining from food and drink.

Who eats unlawfully, actually, he will become hungry. For example, a man who owns every reason of life and cannot eat the food of the poorest people in this world, all his money that he has collected from (haram) is worthless to him. Who devours others’ property, or devours the inheritance of his sisters, or even collects money unlawfully and inherit it to his children, the result will be: he will become hungry indeed.

One shapes of consuming people’s money is paying bribes.  Bribes are paid to those who has a control over any case – not only the judges of the courts – For example, I came to a bank window to get money, and there were a long que in turn, so I paid a bribe and took the turn of others, in this case I ate money unjustly, that is because I took the time of others. I cannot do this thing except if I pay a bribe.  So eating this money in unjust needs a bribe.

(… وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ ..  ) (..send it [in bribery] to the rulers…): There is no indication of [bribery] in Arabic in this verse, but the word: (send it), this Arabic word is derived from the (Daloo) which means a bucket, and the rope that hangs the bucket is called in Arabic (Ar-Rashaa) (the bribery), from here the word of (bribery) came.  So, the expression is the verse is:

(… بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ  ) (in sin, while you know [it is unlawful.…): It does not come that you eat the right of others, unless through knowing that you are doing so.  The main reason of all corruption in society is devouring money unjustly.  Corruption means changing the balance of justice in society. When there is theft, abstraction, abuse and bribery, then there is corruption, the reason of which, is that the human wants to eat the right of others.  Even adultery is an assault on the right of others.

A young man came to the Prophet (saws), and said, “O Messenger of Allah, give me permission to commit adultery.” The people turned to rebuke him, saying, “Quiet! Quiet!” The Prophet (saws) said, “Come here.” The young man came close and he (saws) told him to sit down.  The Prophet (saws) said, “Would you like that for your mother?” The man said, “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.  The Prophet (saws) said, “People would not like it for their mothers.” The Prophet said, “Would you like that for your daughter?” The man said, “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.  The Prophet (saws) said, “The Prophet said: “People would not like it for their daughters.” The Prophet (saws) said, “Would you like that for your sister?” The man said, “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.  The Prophet (saws) said, “People would not like it for their sisters.” The Prophet (saws) said, “Would you like that for your aunts?” The man said, “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.  The Prophet (saws) said, “People would not like it for their aunts.” The Prophet (saws) placed his hand on him and he said, “O Allah, forgive his sins, purify his heart, and guard his chastity.” After that, the young man never again turned to anything sinful.^[2]

The Prophet treated it as an attack on the rights of people and an infringement of the rights of others.

Facilitating corruption in itself is corruption, which is done through bribery. For that, the Messenger of Allah (saws) cursed the one who bribes, who takes the bribery and the one who mediates between them. Verify, bribery is an act leads to a completely corrupt society. We say that we are really in need for moral values.  What moral values equals to such that are in these verses, that can block all outlets of corruption.  It was said:

It is not built, the building of some people

If their morals were in ruins

If people are injured in their morals

So make them a funeral and scream

No one to believe that with corruption of morality there can be a well-built country, hence, our Prophet (saws) said:

“I was sent to perfect good character.”^[3]

That is why our Lord (swt) says in his Noble Book:

 {فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ }

(So remain on a right course as you have been commanded,)  (Huud: 112)

And does not say “as you desired”

 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ * نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ * نُزُلًا مِّنْ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمٍ * وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ * وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ * وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ

(Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah ” and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.  % We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter.  And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish] % As accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful.” % And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.” % And not equal are the good deed and the bad.  Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.  % But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].)  (Fussilat: 30-35)

This is the highest point of integrity and morality.

The religion does not just call for what is good, but for the best. The Prophet (saws) said:

“The best of the good is the good of manners.”[4]

If we want to build a good society, we must devote morality, and morality comes only by legislations of the religion.

[1] Sahih Muslim, the Book of  Zakat, Hadith No. 1015

[2] Majmaa’ Az-Zawaed And Manbaa’ Al-Fawaed, Juz’ 1 , hadith No. 543.

[3] Sunan Al-Bayhaqi Al-Kubra, Book of testimonies, hadith No. 20571

[4] Mussnad Ash-Shehab, Jua2, Hadith No. 986.