Riba is prohibited within Somaliland country (By: Mohamed Omar Dhagah)

Riba is an excess or increase or addition due to person’s asset. The story tellers goes on to say, to the extent that a great founder of Islamic law such as the Companion Ibn Abbas thought that Riba only means “interest “ as we define it today. He said: No Riba exists except through a time span of indebtedness.

The Riba is divided into two main types;

Riba Al Nase’ah: To charge a specified increase or profit on a specific amount lent for a given period.

In another way this is known as

1. Riba Aljahiliya and
2. Riba AlQuran

Riba Alfadhi: Excess that is taken in the exchange of homogenous commodities and is encountered in their hand to hand purchase and sale. This type of Riba is also known as

1. Riba al-Bey’
2. Riba al-Hadith

In additionally Riba is a sin that Allah prohibited those who believe him. & said in the Holly Quran

(“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury (i.e., the interest due on a fixed deposit, or on any other loan on interest), if you are indeed believers.”  If you do it not (i.e. if you persist in your claim or demand for the interest due to you), then take notice of (a declaration of) war from Allah and His Messenger: but if ye turn away (from such claim or demand), then you are entitled to the return of your capital sum (placed in the fixed deposit or otherwise lent); do not enter into (such) unjust transactions, nor allow yourselves to be subjected to such).

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ * فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ

But Somaliland House of Representatives were argued the interest banking system or the interest financial system, which is clearly works as a form of Riba, hence Somaliland community is Muslim the Riba is prohibited and there is no arguments or discussions we can made it. The reason for all that is the clarity and strength of the Qur’an on the prohibition of Riba. Also the verses that strongly condemn Riba are the Cow Surah (Al-baqra) from the Ayah 275 through 280. And it is said

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا فَمَنْ جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَانْتَهَى فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“Those who devour usury will not stand (before their Lord for Judgment) except as stands one whom Satan by his touch hath driven to madness. That is because they claim that: ‘Business is like lending on interest,’ but Allah hath permitted business and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for Allah (to judge); but those who persist (in claiming the interest due from fixed deposits or other such loans on interest) are Companions of the Hellfire; they will abide therein (forever).” 

Apart from the Quran; Somaliland National constitution prohibits Riba, said in article 5: Religion:

1. Islam is the religion of the Somaliland state, and the promotion of any religion in the territory of Somaliland, other than Islam, is prohibited.
2. The laws of the nation shall be grounded on and shall not be contrary to Islamic Sharia.
3. The state shall promote religious tenets (religious affairs) and shall fulfill Sharia principles and discourage immoral acts and reprehensible behavior.

And also the constitution said in article 14, paragraph 3:

Usury and commercial practices which are against the interests of the society and unlawful enrichment are prohibited.

In conclusion if Riba is prohibited from our Creator (Allah), why do our House of Representatives is argue? The reality is

1. Seeking personnel interest either right and wrong
2. Individuals of them are doing only for opposing the other members who ultimately disagree the discussion of Riba.
3. The stakeholders of the Riba Banking system were paid them as a bribe

Recommendation:

To the Somaliland House of Representatives and any authority it may concerns.

1. Remove Riba discussion in our House of Representative and expel it away from Somaliland, since it is clearly & strongly prohibited in our Religion and the national constitution.
2. Do not enlist your personality in disbeliever
3. Be care full, doing this is paying the hell from Allah
4. Do not driven in despair to the Muslim community
5. Instead you couldn’t do work against Allah, do not declare a war against the Allah.
6. Do not misuse the national constitution
7. Do not cause the country instability

By Mohamed Omar Dhagah