The Meaning of a Principle

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : What is needed is for the matter to be detailed, may Allah bless you, because when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) forbade the prohibited foods—namely carrion, blood, and the flesh of the pig—He said: ; that is, except for the amount by which you are saved from it, or a small amount by which you are saved from falling into destruction. So if a man is in the desert and is about to die of hunger, it is not permissible for him to eat from the flesh of the pig, for example, as if he were eating from the flesh of a sheep; rather, he eats only the amount by which he is convinced that he will be saved from destruction by hunger. From here came the principle: "Necessities permit the prohibited" and "Necessity is measured by its extent." As for "The end justifies the means," its meaning is that if a person seeks something he wants for himself, he does not ask whether the means that lead him to his goal are forbidden or lawful. Most of the Muslims today who engage in transactions involving usury or prohibited matters—most of the traders today deposit their money in banks and claim that they are compelled to do so—there is no necessity for dealing in usury, ever. And especially since Allah says: This is what can be said now. Perhaps you may ask about some of the tapes and find in them some of the detail that you ask about and seek. And to conclude, the time for questions has ended and passed. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.