My Experience With Riba (interest). A Lesson I Hope No One Else Has to Learn
Never start a business with interest-based financing. If you have a good relationship with Allah, understand that His tests can sometimes be extremely difficult. I never imagined I would reach a stage where life would feel so hard and death would seem easier. Yet here I am, sharing my story in the hope that it prevents someone else from making the same mistake.
A few years ago, my business was doing very well. Then some of my business partners scammed me and disappeared. I was left alone to deal with vendors and keep the business running because it was still operating successfully.
To save the business, I took out loans. At first, I convinced myself that they were not riba. Later, I asked a scholar, and he confirmed that they were indeed interest-based loans. As soon as I learned that, I stopped taking them.
But from that point on, everything began to fall apart.
My business collapsed, even though I hadn't made the kind of mistakes that should have destroyed it. To repay people, I sold my car, then my motorcycle, and eventually almost everything I owned. During all of this, I had just gotten married. Everything was happening at once, and I didn't know how to cope.
Over the last four years, I have been struggling just to repay my debts. I have already paid back around 60% of a loan that was close to $8,000, but the remaining amount feels impossible to clear. It isn't even a huge debt compared to many others, yet because of riba, it has become one of the hardest battles of my life.
Today, whatever I earn goes straight toward repaying my debts. There are times when I cannot even afford a proper meal. Just last night, my child needed diapers, and I had to borrow a small amount from a friend to buy them.
Buying new clothes has become a luxury. Eid comes and goes quietly because I cannot afford new clothes for myself or my family. These may seem like small things, but they are painful reminders of how much life has changed. It often feels as though the joy has disappeared from my life. I honestly cannot remember the last time I truly felt happy.
What makes it even harder is that I was once a successful entrepreneur. Today, many people see my failure and assume I must have lacked intelligence or made careless decisions. They don't know the full story or the battles I've been fighting for years. Living with that judgment is incredibly painful.
I am sharing this not to ask for sympathy, but to remind others that what appears to be an easy financial solution can sometimes lead to years of hardship. This has been my personal experience, and I pray that no one else has to go through what my family and I have endured.
From the outside, interest (riba) looks like an easy solution. But once you're trapped in it, everything begins to fall apart. Life becomes difficult, and sometimes giving up seems easier than carrying on.
I have knocked on many doors. I approached NGOs, mosques, and different people, asking if someone could lend me money without interest so I could repay it in monthly installments. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone willing to help.
Despite everything, I continue to pray. Every day, and especially in Tahajjud, I ask Allah to make a way out for me. My wife has been understanding, and whenever I feel completely broken, I look at my child and remind myself that I have to keep going.
Please, never treat interest as an easy solution. Face the hardship at the beginning, but do not fall into the trap of riba. I sincerely pray that no one has to go through what my family and I have experienced. May Allah protect us all, forgive us, and grant everyone halal rizq and ease. Ameen.