Is it permissible to deal in riba (usury or interest) on the grounds of dire necessity?
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The Shaykh : Your question was about meat, and what is the second part?
The questioner : Canned goods.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : Riba (usury or interest).
The Shaykh : That is the second part. Well, what about riba (usury or interest)? I answered something about it, but what about riba (usury or interest), or what is it?
The questioner : Some scholars have permitted riba (usury or interest) on the basis that dire necessities permit the prohibited. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is what I referred to earlier: that they make lawful what Allah has forbidden, like the Jews, using the slightest of ruses. What is the dire necessity for eating the forbidden riba (usury or interest), and the one who speaks about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) What is the dire necessity for a Muslim to eat a dirham of riba (usury or interest)?
The questioner : For example, in the case of...
The Shaykh : You do not speak until you understand what I am saying. Do you know what dire necessity is?
The questioner : I am convinced that there is no dire necessity.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I am convinced that there is no dire necessity.
The Shaykh : I am convinced that it is not a dire necessity.
The questioner : But in response to the scholars who say such things.
The Shaykh : This is the response. Do you know? You have now taken a position against those who make lawful what Allah has forbidden. Do you know what dire necessity is? Dire necessity is that in which, if the Muslim did not make lawful what Allah has forbidden, he would destroy himself.[Al-Ma'idah 5:3] Then He made an exception and said: [Al-An'am 6:119] So if a person does not find meat in his land except pork, then there is a dire necessity. What is the dire necessity? He is saying: These things, except if you are compelled to eat them to save yourselves from destruction and death by hunger. So where is the dire necessity for eating the wealth of riba (usury or interest)? This, unfortunately, is playing with words. This is from one aspect.
From another aspect, dire necessity is only valid to be called a dire necessity if it is realized and occurs, not if it is merely suspected that it will occur. There is a difference between the two. Ah, is that not clear? That is to say, dire necessity is when a person falls into a situation that may destroy him, and at that time, in order that the destruction not be complete, he eats what Allah has forbidden due to dire necessity. But to eat the forbidden in order to avoid falling into dire necessity, that is not a dire necessity. For example, a person facing a long journey, especially in the old way, eats something forbidden now because he fears he will not find anything on his way, even if it is forbidden, and will die. But he is not currently in a state of dire necessity; he is not currently compelled. So when he actually falls into compulsion, then he eats what Allah has forbidden by the ruling of the explicit text of the Qur'an. So the claim now that riba (usury or interest) is permissible on the basis of dire necessity is playing with words and meanings. And this is one of the misfortunes of Muslims today.
Yes
The questioner : Canned goods.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : Riba (usury or interest).
The Shaykh : That is the second part. Well, what about riba (usury or interest)? I answered something about it, but what about riba (usury or interest), or what is it?
The questioner : Some scholars have permitted riba (usury or interest) on the basis that dire necessities permit the prohibited. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is what I referred to earlier: that they make lawful what Allah has forbidden, like the Jews, using the slightest of ruses. What is the dire necessity for eating the forbidden riba (usury or interest), and the one who speaks about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
A dirham of usury that a man consumes is more severe with Allah than thirty-six acts of unlawful sexual intercourse.
درهم ربا يأكله الرجل أشد عند الله من ست وثلاثين زنيةThe questioner : For example, in the case of...
The Shaykh : You do not speak until you understand what I am saying. Do you know what dire necessity is?
The questioner : I am convinced that there is no dire necessity.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I am convinced that there is no dire necessity.
The Shaykh : I am convinced that it is not a dire necessity.
The questioner : But in response to the scholars who say such things.
The Shaykh : This is the response. Do you know? You have now taken a position against those who make lawful what Allah has forbidden. Do you know what dire necessity is? Dire necessity is that in which, if the Muslim did not make lawful what Allah has forbidden, he would destroy himself.
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine
حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزيرexcepting that to which you are compelled
إلا ما اضطررتم إليهIt is forbidden for you
حرمت عليكمFrom another aspect, dire necessity is only valid to be called a dire necessity if it is realized and occurs, not if it is merely suspected that it will occur. There is a difference between the two. Ah, is that not clear? That is to say, dire necessity is when a person falls into a situation that may destroy him, and at that time, in order that the destruction not be complete, he eats what Allah has forbidden due to dire necessity. But to eat the forbidden in order to avoid falling into dire necessity, that is not a dire necessity. For example, a person facing a long journey, especially in the old way, eats something forbidden now because he fears he will not find anything on his way, even if it is forbidden, and will die. But he is not currently in a state of dire necessity; he is not currently compelled. So when he actually falls into compulsion, then he eats what Allah has forbidden by the ruling of the explicit text of the Qur'an. So the claim now that riba (usury or interest) is permissible on the basis of dire necessity is playing with words and meanings. And this is one of the misfortunes of Muslims today.
Yes
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.