| beginning of the sixth century B.C. In Malaya raising loans by pawning land is an accepted way of evading the Muslim prohibition on usary. The lender has the benefit of the land in lieu of filed interest 11. Another informant argued that his land should be returned to him free since the purchaser had already reaped far more benefit from it than the original purchase price. This remark is consistent with village thinking on the subject and clearly assumes pawning, not outright sale. 12. See the contribution of Professor Hifzi Timur in this issue. 13. Islamic religious leader. 14. In my experience in 1950-52 about £T.200 (officially about £25 or $70, instead of about £T.500). |