Interestingly enough, in the tablet of Ishraqat, Baha’u’llah explicity lifts the ban on usury formerly instituted in Islam. …
I wonder what has changed in 1300 years that it was once under the “devils influence”, destined to “incur hell”, and is now “lawful and pure” and instrumental to worship with “joy and fragrance, happiness and exultation”? I don’t mean this flippantly, I am really interested to know if there are practical reasons for such an abrupt shift, similar to the lifting of the ban on eating pork.
Ancient Middle East
Johnson, Paul: A History of the Jews (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1987) ISBN 0-06-091533-1, pp. 172–73.
“Among the Mesopotamians, Hittites, Phoenicians and Egyptians, interest was legal and often fixed by the state. But the Hebrew took a different view of the matter.”
Deuteronomy 23:20 Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.”
Bahá′í Faith
Is Usury Good ?:
Ancient Middle East
Johnson, Paul: A History of the Jews (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1987) ISBN 0-06-091533-1, pp. 172–73.