'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "O you who have believed, do not consume interest, doubled and multiplied, and fear Allah that you may be successful." "And fear the Fire which has been prepared for the disbelievers." "And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may receive mercy." This prohibition against consuming interest is an interruption during the story of Uhud, and I do not have a narrated reason for that. Interest is the increase, and a similar verse and the rulings of interest have already been mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah. His saying, "doubled" is in the accusative case, and its meaning is the interest that the Arabs used to increase the debt with. The borrower would say: Will you repay or will you increase? His saying, "multiplied" refers to the repetition of the increase year after year as they used to do. This emphatic expression indicates the heinousness of their action and its ugliness, and for this reason, it specifically mentioned the state of the increase. Allah has prohibited all types of interest, so this is the understanding of the address, as what is omitted from interest is in the ruling of what is mentioned. Also, interest includes all its types, the increase and the addition in various forms, whether from the principal or from delay and the like. The Fire in His saying, "And fear the Fire" is a generic term, and it may be specific to the covenant. Then He mentioned that it has been prepared for the disbelievers, meaning they are the intended and primary target. Others among the sinners may enter it, so He emphasized the matter of the Fire by mentioning disbelief, and it is good for the believer to beware of it and distance himself from it by obeying Allah. This is just as He said regarding Paradise: "It has been prepared for the righteous," meaning they are the intended, even if others such as children and the insane, who are not accountable and cannot be described as righteous, may enter it. This is the view of the people of knowledge regarding this verse. Al-Mawardi and others narrated from some that they went to the view that those who consume interest have indeed been threatened by the Fire of the disbelievers, as the Fire has seven levels, the highest of which is Jahannam for the sinners, and the five for the disbelievers, and the lowest level is for the hypocrites. They said: Thus, the consumers of interest will be punished on the Day of Resurrection by the Fire of the disbelievers, not by the Fire of the sinners, and by this they have been threatened. Therefore, the definite article in His saying, "And fear the Fire" is indeed for the covenant. Then He commanded, exalted is He, obedience to Him and to His Messenger. Obedience is the agreement with the command that is in effect upon the commanded one along with the intention of the command. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Whoever obeys me has indeed obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys me has indeed disobeyed Allah, and whoever obeys the leader has indeed obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the leader has indeed disobeyed me." Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: This verse, from His saying, exalted and glorified is He, "And obey Allah," is the beginning of the admonition regarding the matter of Uhud, and the defeat of those who fled and the removal of the archers from their positions.