B2noun
رِبَا
ribā
usury / interest
Example
وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا
wa-aḥalla Allāhu al-bayʿa wa-ḥarrama ar-ribā
Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest (2:275)
Grammar
Masculine noun (alif maqṣūra). From رَبَا (to grow/increase). Literally means 'excess/growth' - refers to unjust financial gain through lending.
Culture
The prohibition of ribā is one of the most emphatic in the Quran - it forms the basis of Islamic banking and finance.