I came across a guy who spoke to me in a mordacious tone that I used to speak about the ill effects of interest in my sermons while the whole world’s economy is running on interest. Why this interest does not damage the non believers? Why it troubles the Muslims only? Then he himself asserted ‘And even it does not trouble the Muslims too’. I told him that it was the ailment of his mind (in other words he was a fool himself and making others fools as well). I sighed and addressed him respectfully that he was not aware about the world affairs although even I was also not that well informed but the knowledge that I had received from the media reports proves that the international traders are now compelled to think that interest is not allowed in any faith. It is not allowed in Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism or Islam. So to find evidence about the prohibition of interest, then you should either do a comparative study of all the faiths or alternatively you should accept the reality about the illegitimacy of interest. A few months ago Readers Digest which is an international magazine printed in millions and its contents are considered as enormously authentic as no one can even think that they could publish anything without authenticity.

One of the analysis was published in the Readers Digest which states that the international affairs after the 9-11 including financial crisis, wars, hatred and a tsunami of poverty and inflation. If you want to combat against all these then you should purify your trade from interest. He was so surprised to know all this from a western writer and I asked a learned friend of mine to do further research and bring forward some references which were quoted by the writer. He brought the references and was himself shocked to learn all this. When he performed further search on the internet and found various favourable and conflicting thoughts about that articles were so eye opening that a person would just study them and leave everything else. The worries and tremors that come to a person’s life are also evident from this brief letter that I have received from a debt stricken family: my home is near the Dhobi Ghat and I live in a three Marla small house. On the other side of the street there live some families who live on lending money on interest and it was their family business. The ill effects of this cursed business have ruined their homes as well as disturbing mine too. They quarrel all day and it is not unusual for them to swear at each other for petty things. They manhandle each other and their men as well as the women are equally shameless. The head of family does not talk without swearing. And he has kept the whole family disturbed. His son listens to loud music all day and spends all his time in music, dance and internet. He has also started using drugs. If we request them to keep the music low, they turn deaf ear to it and even do not hesitate to fight. They have turned the whole street quite dirty and filthy. This is a short description of their home and due to their bad nature my family and generations arte getting affected by their filth. My children see them and try to follow them. I have noticed that our earnings are lacking barakah and finish very soon. I have so many disputes, conflicts, worries, illness, sorrows, miseries and problems at my home that I had never imagined of them. I think this is nothing but the evilness of my neighbourhood, whose earnings, lifestyles, thoughts and character are so filthy that even I am not spared from it. Please pray for me that I could move to some other place as I am fed up now and I am quite worried not knowing what to do. It is true that our elders would say that search for a good neighbour before you search a home. If you get a bad neighbour even you are offered Taj Mahal for pennies, you must refuse it and never ever accept it.