Regarding the criterion of dire necessity for dealing with riba (usury or interest).
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The questioner : If a person is in dire necessity for money and finds no one to lend to him except with riba (usury or interest), is it permissible for him to borrow from him?
The Shaykh : I mean, suppose he is in dire necessity in the sense that he will die if he does not do so.
The questioner : An example that happened to some people: he had a car he worked on, and he had no source of income except this car, from which he spent on himself and his family.
The Shaykh : No, he has no source of income. May Allah will it, he will go out to the desert, cut the grass, chop the firewood, and bring it back.
The questioner : ... In other countries, work is difficult ...
The Shaykh : Well, for example, suppose he is in Egypt. In Egypt, they have the Nile River, which is full of fish.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, well ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In any case, if he fears destruction, because the forbidden is not permissible for the one in dire necessity except if he fears destruction. If he fears destruction, there is no harm. However, in this case, he may take the riba (usury or interest) but must not give the one taking the riba his interest, because it is obligatory for the owner of the riba, when he sees the one in dire necessity, to save him.
The Shaykh : I mean, suppose he is in dire necessity in the sense that he will die if he does not do so.
The questioner : An example that happened to some people: he had a car he worked on, and he had no source of income except this car, from which he spent on himself and his family.
The Shaykh : No, he has no source of income. May Allah will it, he will go out to the desert, cut the grass, chop the firewood, and bring it back.
The questioner : ... In other countries, work is difficult ...
The Shaykh : Well, for example, suppose he is in Egypt. In Egypt, they have the Nile River, which is full of fish.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, well ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : In any case, if he fears destruction, because the forbidden is not permissible for the one in dire necessity except if he fears destruction. If he fears destruction, there is no harm. However, in this case, he may take the riba (usury or interest) but must not give the one taking the riba his interest, because it is obligatory for the owner of the riba, when he sees the one in dire necessity, to save him.