QQ 2:262

Borrowing and Lending

The Bible consistently emphasises fairness, compassion, responsibility, and the avoidance of exploitation.

Debt

• Proverbs 22:7 – “The borrower is servant to the lender.” A reminder that debt creates obligation and vulnerability.
• Romans 13:8 – “Owe no man anything, but to love one another.” Encourages living free from unnecessary financial entanglements.
• Psalm 37:21 – “The wicked borrow and do not repay.” Stresses the moral responsibility to repay what you owe.

Loan

• Deuteronomy 15:7-8 – God commands generosity: open your hand freely to the poor and lend what they need.
• Luke 6:34-35 – Jesus challenges people to lend without expecting anything back, reflecting God’s grace.
• Proverbs 19:17 – “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” Lending to those in need is seen as an act of worship.

Interest

• Exodus 22:25 – Don’t charge interest to the poor.
• Leviticus 25:35-37 – Support the poor; do not profit from their hardship.
• Deuteronomy 23:19-20 – Israelites were forbidden from charging interest to fellow Israelites.

Love

• Matthew 5:42 – “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow.”
• Matthew 6:12 – The Lord’s Prayer includes forgiving debts (the Greek word opheilēmata literally means “debts”).
• Nehemiah 5:1-13 – Nehemiah rebukes leaders for exploiting the poor through loans and demands they return what they took.

Integrity

• Proverbs 11:1 — God hates dishonest scales; financial dealings must be honest.
• Proverbs 3:27-28 — Don’t withhold good when it’s in your power to act.

Conclusion

The Bible doesn’t forbid borrowing or lending outright. Instead, it teaches:

• Borrow responsibly
• Repay faithfully
• Lend generously
• Never exploit the vulnerable
• Treat financial relationships as moral relationships

Practical, ethical, and compassionate.

As you can see, Zaid, our borrowing and lending follow the examples that GOD gave us in the Book. From this, we make money, and more importantly, our clients also make money, and we make Mecca prosperous for all.

I see, Father, so like the Jews?

Exactly. That’s why they are rich, and why we’re rich too. None of the waste of the pagans, buying cows and camels, mass-sacrifice, burning meat and watching it spoil.