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The Definition Of Riba
“Respected Ghamidi Sahab,
Some Islamic scholars extend the definition of Riba beyond interest-based transactions to include unequal exchanges in barter trade. They refer to the hadith of Bilal (RA), in which he exchanged low-quality dates for high-quality dates in an unequal ratio, and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned him that this was Riba. The Prophet (PBUH) advised him to first sell the low-quality dates for money and then use that money to buy the high-quality dates.
Given this hadith, do you believe that Riba includes all forms of unequal exchanges, or is it specifically related to loan transactions involving interest? How should we understand this hadith in light of the Qur’anic definition of Riba?”
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