Verse of Trade

Verse 275 of Surah Al-Baqarah is called the “Verse of Trade” (Ayat al-Bay’): “Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, ‘Trade is just like interest.’ But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allah. But whoever returns to [dealing in] interest—those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.”

Some consider this verse to be among the ambiguous verses (ayat mujmal) because riba (interest) means excess, and excess exists in every trade. Therefore, the ambiguity of the verse must be resolved by specifying what is prohibited and what is permissible.

[1] Al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran, vol. 3, p. 63.