Some people do not find anyone to lend them money or sell to them on credit; is it permissible for them to take a loan from banks?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The student: May Allah reward you. Some people do not find anyone to lend them money.
The Shaykh : What?
The student: They do not find anyone to lend them money.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: So he is forced to go to the people of riba (usury or interest). Is it permissible for him to go?
The Shaykh : He says: This person is in dire necessity for riba (usury or interest). He did not find anyone to lend him money, and he did not find anyone to sell to him on credit, meaning to deal with him via salam (a forward sale paid in advance). So what does he do? He goes there, and what does he do?
The student: He steals.
The Shaykh : No, no, he does not steal.[At-Talaq 65:4]. He says: Now, people are asking for the artisan who works. How much is the daily wage in riyals?
The student: One hundred.
The Shaykh : One hundred. We want to give you fifty. Fifty will suffice you and your family, even if you eat the best food people eat. So pack your bags and go. This is not a dire necessity. He might say: No, I am not in dire necessity for food and drink, but I am in dire necessity for marriage. We say: Be patient. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:[An-Nur 24:33]. Be patient and abstain from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) and from eating what is haram (forbidden).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says:Sunan an-Nasa'i 3208Sahih (Darussalam). There is no dire necessity in reality, ever.
But suppose there is a dire necessity, meaning it is true. A man is in the desert, he has nothing, and he cannot work. He has no one to work for, and there is not even a tree for him to eat from. And this man says: I will not give you anything except bread for two loaves. I will give you bread; I have bread now. I will give you one loaf for two loaves. We say: Take it. Take one loaf for two loaves, or give him only the value of the loaf. Because he must offer his wealth, either for free according to the opinion of some scholars, or for its value. Even if it does not contradict [the ruling], you say: Give me the loaf, and I will take the loaf for one hundred riyals. I am in dire necessity. This man is happy to get a loaf for one hundred riyals. He gives you two loaves for two hundred. He says yes. He takes two loaves and eats them. How much does he give him? He gives him half a riyal. But he returns to give him its value in that place. It might be that in this place the loaf is one riyal, for example. In any case, he gives him the value. Yes.
The student: He does not give him the bread except for its value. He takes the money first.
The Shaykh : Yes. If he refuses to give the bread except for dirhams, and if this [refusal] is stronger than his [need], he ties him up and eats until he is full. Yes.
The Shaykh : What?
The student: They do not find anyone to lend them money.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: So he is forced to go to the people of riba (usury or interest). Is it permissible for him to go?
The Shaykh : He says: This person is in dire necessity for riba (usury or interest). He did not find anyone to lend him money, and he did not find anyone to sell to him on credit, meaning to deal with him via salam (a forward sale paid in advance). So what does he do? He goes there, and what does he do?
The student: He steals.
The Shaykh : No, no, he does not steal.
whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease.
من يتق الله يجعل له من أمره يسراThe student: One hundred.
The Shaykh : One hundred. We want to give you fifty. Fifty will suffice you and your family, even if you eat the best food people eat. So pack your bags and go. This is not a dire necessity. He might say: No, I am not in dire necessity for food and drink, but I am in dire necessity for marriage. We say: Be patient. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:
But let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from sexual relations] until Allah enriches them from His bounty.
وليستعفف الذين لا يجدون نكاحا حتى يغنيهم الله من فضلهAnd the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says:
and whoever cannot then he should fast
من لم يستطع فعليه بالصومBut suppose there is a dire necessity, meaning it is true. A man is in the desert, he has nothing, and he cannot work. He has no one to work for, and there is not even a tree for him to eat from. And this man says: I will not give you anything except bread for two loaves. I will give you bread; I have bread now. I will give you one loaf for two loaves. We say: Take it. Take one loaf for two loaves, or give him only the value of the loaf. Because he must offer his wealth, either for free according to the opinion of some scholars, or for its value. Even if it does not contradict [the ruling], you say: Give me the loaf, and I will take the loaf for one hundred riyals. I am in dire necessity. This man is happy to get a loaf for one hundred riyals. He gives you two loaves for two hundred. He says yes. He takes two loaves and eats them. How much does he give him? He gives him half a riyal. But he returns to give him its value in that place. It might be that in this place the loaf is one riyal, for example. In any case, he gives him the value. Yes.
The student: He does not give him the bread except for its value. He takes the money first.
The Shaykh : Yes. If he refuses to give the bread except for dirhams, and if this [refusal] is stronger than his [need], he ties him up and eats until he is full. Yes.