Riba? in the Holy Quran; Based upon Economic Anthropological Models

"Ribā" is one of the key economic ideas in the Holy Qur'an, which Muslim scholars have studied its substance and rules. The history of this idea in Islamic culture indicates semantic divergences in it, such as the formation of both loan and dealing usury, which ultimately makes it difficult to achieve comprehensive meaning for this idea. Making difference between the Ribā among illiterates (’Ummīyyīn) and the one among People of the Book (’Ahl al-kitāb), this study attempts to explain the meaning of Ribā in the context of revelation of the Holy Qur'an based upon economic anthropological models. In addition to studying the substance of Ribā in Jewish culture mentioned in the Holy Qur'an just once, in Sura 4, verse 161, this study indicates that politico-economic changes in Arabian Peninsula led to two different types of Ribā among illiterates. This study, consequently, draws a semantic distinction between Ribā mentioned in Sura 30, verse 39, and other uses of the idea in the Holy Qur'an.