Role of Interest (Grace and Credit) in Explaining the Initial Pains: A Theological Approach

The concept of "interest" and some terms like grace and credit play a pivotal role in explaining the initial pains. In analyzing the concept of interest in theological approach, the overall concept is intended while in verses of the Quran and hadith is mostly pointed to the examples of interest such as reward, God’s trial, perfection, and so on. Islamic theologians expressed four views about the role of interest in goodness of initial pains. According to the first view, divine action is deemed the same as interest which can not be measured by the yardstick of human reasoning and nothing be required of God as well. The second view says that the interest has no role in goodness of initial pains and God’s compensation is enough for its goodness. The third view says that the interest is deemed a sufficient condition for goodness of initial pains and does not require compensation. The third view deems God’s compensation necessary in spite of necessity of interest for goodness of initial pains. As a result of these challenges the author of the present paper concludes the fifth view saying that the constant accompaniment of interest is a requisite for all initial pains, although it is not enough in some initial pains.