Journal of Religion and the Contemporary World

Journal of Religion and the Contemporary World

A Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Perspectives on Quranic Verses on Riba: Emphasizing the Views of Bel'aid, Shahrour, Al-Qaradawi, and Al-Ashmawi

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD student in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Abstract
The issue of prohibiting usury (riba) in the contemporary economy is one of the most significant challenges in Islamic economic jurisprudence. Fundamental differences between the economic structure of the era of revelation and the present day have raised critical questions regarding the adaptation of Sharia rulings to economic realities for contemporary thinkers. This research aims to conduct a comparative analysis and critical evaluation of the views of four prominent thinkers (Sadiq Bel'aid, Muhammad Shahrour, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, and Muhammad Saeed Al-Ashmawi) regarding the interpretation of Quranic verses on usury and the jurisprudential and social implications of each. The research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach, which, by examining the primary sources of these thinkers and identifying key conceptual axes, investigates the points of convergence and divergence of their views. The results indicate that although all four thinkers agree on the exploitative nature of pre-Islamic usury, there are clear differences in their practical conclusions. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, with a traditional approach relying on definitive texts, considers any bank interest as a manifestation of forbidden usury and introduces Islamic banking based on partnership contracts as the only legitimate solution.
Keywords
Subjects

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Available Online from 29 July 2026