Glossary

What does riba mean?

ربا

In short

Riba means interest or usury. Charging or paying interest on loans is forbidden in Islam, which is why Islamic finance exists.

Riba (ربا) means interest or usury — any fixed, guaranteed increase on a loan. The Qur'an prohibits it strongly (2:275–279).

This is why many Muslims look for Islamic alternatives to mortgages, savings accounts and loans. See Is a mortgage halal? and Is interest on savings halal?

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Written by the Halal Check Online editorial team. Last reviewed 2026-10-06. How we write these answers · Suggest a correction