Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I heared that if in the situation, no alternative is there, then one can eat the flesh of dead body of human and it is halaal n ot haraam for this cant but situation.

If it is correct, then in the atmosphere like India, no bank do anything without giving interest, then to fulfill our unavoidable requiremets, giving interest on loan is permitted right ???

Please compare above two situations ........ 

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Answer:

Lawful to give interest in extreme circumstance

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ….I heared that if in the situation, no alternative is there, then one can eat the flesh of dead body of human and it is halaal n ot haraam for this cant but situation.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah Verse 3:

3 Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat blood the flesh of swine and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah that which hath been killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a headlong fall or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

If one is forced by hunger to such an extent that it is a matter of life and death, and one has absolutely nothing to eat except what has been declared as unlawful, there is indeed allowance in Shariah that one may eat of the unlawful enough only to save their lives. If one does consume the unlawful without willful disobedience in such a situation, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Your Question: …If it is correct, then in the atmosphere like India, no bank do anything without giving interest, then to fulfill our unavoidable requiremets, giving interest on loan is permitted right ???

The same Lord Most Exalted Who Declared the consumption of swine ‘haraam’ and unlawful unto the believers has also Declared the taking and paying of ‘riba’ or interest as categorically unlawful unto the believers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 274-276:

But those who devour ‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his touch. They have been condemned to this condition because they say, “Trade is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before: his case shall ultimately go to Allah. But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing and develops charity, and Allah does not like an ungrateful, sinful person.

Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 161:

That they took ‘riba’, although they were forbidden. And that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully. We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (of Hell Fire)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 130-132:

130 O ye who believe! Devour not ‘riba’ doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.

131 Fear the Fire which is prepared for those who reject faith.

132 And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Ali said he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah on those who took usury, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah.

There is absolutely no doubt that ‘shirk’ is the absolute biggest and the most heinous of sins in the Sight of Allah Subhanah; so much so that He has Declared the sin of shirk as unforgivable for the person who dies in a state of shirk! Just as the Lord Most Gracious has promised to excuse one who is faced with a life and death situation because of hunger and reluctantly consumes the unlawful to save their life, the Lord Most Exalted has also promised to excuse the believer, who when faced with a life and death situation, is forced by the disbelievers to utter or declare terms of ‘shirk’ to save his life!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 106:

Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah utters unbelief, except under compulsion and his heart remaining firm in faith; but such as open their breast to unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.

But nowhere in the Glorious Quran or the authentic and established Sunnah is found a statement whereby one will be excused if one consumes or pays the abomination of ‘riba’ when faced with ‘unavoidable circumstances’!!!

There are some scholars who opine that if one is faced with life and death situation; for example, one’s child or mother is sick and he desperately needs money for their medicine or operation, and the person has tried everything in his power and means but is still not able to raise the funds required, and in such a dire situation he reluctantly takes on an interest-bearing loan only to save the life of his loved one; then his case is in the Hands of the Lord Most Merciful Alone. If the Lord Wills, He may accept his excuse; and if the Lord Wills, he may take full retribution.

But if one deals in ‘Riba’ for one’s leisure and pleasure, then indeed he will be brought forth as a criminal in the Court of Allah Subhanah to answer for his deeds!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan