Jabir said that God's Messenger cursed the one who accepted usury, the one who paid it, the one who recorded it, and the two witnesses to it, saying they were all alike. Muslim transmitted it.
Business Transactions - Mishkat al-Masabih 2807
This narration from Jabir ibn Abdullah, transmitted by Imam Muslim, contains a severe warning from the Prophet Muhammad regarding the sin of usury (riba). The Messenger of God cursed multiple participants in usurious transactions, demonstrating the comprehensive prohibition of this practice in Islamic law.
Scholarly Commentary on the Participants
The one who accepts usury (the lender) is cursed because he actively seeks unlawful gain and exploits the needy. The one who pays usury (the borrower) is equally condemned for cooperating in sin and validating this prohibited transaction.
The recorder of usury is cursed for facilitating the documentation of this sinful contract. The two witnesses are included in the curse for legitimizing the transaction through their testimony, making them accomplices in this major sin.
Legal Implications and Wisdom
This comprehensive condemnation serves to completely eradicate usury from Muslim society by targeting every participant in the chain. Classical scholars emphasize that this curse applies regardless of the amount involved, as the prohibition of riba is absolute.
The wisdom behind this severe prohibition lies in protecting society from economic exploitation, ensuring fair distribution of wealth, and maintaining social justice. Usury creates permanent debt burdens and concentrates wealth in the hands of few, contrary to Islamic economic principles.