Islamic Money

What riba is

Money making money by itself — lending with guaranteed increase, interest on loans, conventional bank interest. The lender profits even when the borrower drowns. Islam says: profit must come from real risk, real work, real trade.

What replaces it

• Profit-sharing — lender and borrower share gain and risk
• Trade — buy and sell real goods with honest markup
• Qard hasan — a beautiful loan with zero increase, purely to help

Earn clean

• Lawful work — any honest trade is worship when the intention is right
• No haram products: alcohol, pork, gambling, harm
• "No flesh grows from the unlawful except that the Fire is more fitting for it." — Tirmidhi

Trade honest

• Full measure, full weight — never short the scale
• Disclose defects: "The honest, trustworthy merchant is with the prophets." — Tirmidhi
• Pay wages before the sweat dries — Ibn Majah

Debt etiquette

• Write every debt down — the longest ayah in the Qur'an (2:282) is about this
• Borrow with the intention to repay
• Struggling debtor? Give time, or forgive — "and if you remit it as charity, it is better for you" (2:280)

Habits of barakah

• Pay zakat — it purifies and grows wealth
• Sadaqah daily, even a little — "charity does not decrease wealth" (Muslim)
• Say Bismillah over every deal; be content with what is lawful

Spending wisdom

• Family first: "A dinar spent on your family is the greatest" (Muslim)
• No waste, no showing off — "eat and drink, but be not excessive" (7:31)
• Save for a rainy day — Yusuf (AS) planned seven years ahead

Calculate your zakat

2.5% of zakatable wealth above the nisab, every lunar year — the right of the poor in your money. The calculator does it in ten seconds.