ABSTRACT
(p. 209) People often borrow money from one another for a certain period of time, or purchase merchandise with instant delivery but delayed payments. They may also rent a house, a car or riding animal (horse, donkey, mule, etc.), with payment of the fee delayed; they may have a book printed or an item made, such as a safe or shoes, provided that such fee be a debt owed to the owner of the merchandise, the house, the car, the printing- house, the factory or similar items. In order for the creditor, seller or owner of rented items to insure that the debt will be repaid, the creditor may ask for a pawn whereby the debtor deposits with the creditor an item with which to insure the debt. Because of people’s desire for profit, they make sure that the creditor will benefit by the item pawned, thus, they stipulate the creditor’s right to use the item pawned.They may agree on this without stating any conditions; it may be done with the permission of the debtor or it may be without that permission. Often they proceed to take such action without having thought about its legal admissibility or inadmissibility, as their minds are focused on capitalist self-interest. This, despite the fact that it is incumbent on Muslims to reconcile their actions with Allah’s decrees and prohibitions and to comply with the legal rulings, thus doing what is legal (halal) and abandoning what is illegal (haram). For a Muslim, the criterion for one’s actions is the obedience of Allah’s decrees and prohibitions as one’s goal in this life is the attainment of Allah’s pleasure, not the attainment of money whatever the means used. (p. 210)
