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:

How to live without paying Interest (Riba)?

Assalam-o-alaikum

Brother I was reading the answer to your question (included with the mail). In your mail you have commented that if there is absoloutly no other way you can take a loan where u pay interest on the repayments.

Brother my question is this: My understanding was that Riba is the most hineous sin after shirk. Riba is not allowed under any circumstances. If its a matter of life and death you can use other Haram things to fullfill ur immediate need, except interest.

Am I misinformed brother ?

Thankyou

Allh hafiz

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Answer:

Riba under any circumstances

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: Brother I was reading the answer to your question (included with the mail). In your mail you have commented that if there is absoloutly no other way you can take a loan where u pay interest on the repayments.

My beloved brother in Islam, the answer we had written was to a particular question and a particular situation. One must understand, that no person has the right to declare permissible what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared ‘haraam’; and there is absolutely no doubt to the fact that dealing in ‘riba’ is a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah and absolutely forbidden to the believers.

But if there is a near life and death situation; for example, one’s child or mother is sick and he desperately needs money for their medicine, and the person has tried everything in his power and means but still not able to afford it, and in such a situation he reluctantly takes a interest-bearing loan to save the life of his loved one; it is expected that Allah Subhanah will have Mercy on him. But if one deals in Riba for his leisure and pleasure, then indeed he will be brought forth as a criminal in the Court of Allah Subhanah to answer for his deeds!

Allah Subhanah has Himself, in His Sublime and Infinite Mercy towards the believers, has allowed similar exceptions in the Glorious Quran.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 173:He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah; but if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 115: He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits then Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

And Allah Subhanah Alone Knows Best.

Your Statement: My understanding was that Riba is the most hineous sin after shirk.

There is absolutely no doubt that the consumption of ‘riba’ is indeed one of the gravest sins in the sight of the Lord; but to say it occupies the number two slot in the hierarchy of sins is not absolutely accurate!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.8 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

The Messenger of Allah (saws) mentioned the greatest sins or he was asked about the greatest sins. He (saws) said, "To join partners in worship with Allah; to kill a soul which Allah has forbidden to kill; and to be undutiful or unkind to one's parents."

In another authentic narration, the Messenger of Allah (saws) did indeed count the eating of ‘riba’ amongst the seven most destructive sins.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.28 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people enquire, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! What are they?" He (saws) said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up riba (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.”

Your Statement: Riba is not allowed under any circumstances. If its a matter of life and death you can use other Haram things to fullfill ur immediate need, except interest.

My beloved brother, we must realize that Islam is a deen of Mercy from the All-Merciful, and the Merciful Lord has allowed immense vastness in the practicing of the deen.

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! But the same Lord Who has Declared ‘shirk’ as an abomination and the most heinous of sins, has 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.

Thus, when faced with a life and death situation, when the Merciful Lord will excuse even the utterance of the abomination of ‘shirk’ or disbelief from a believer whose heart is content with Al-Islam, it is expected that Allah Subhanah will have Mercy on the person who reluctantly is forced to take out a loan on interest in a matter of absolute necessity!

But to state that even in a matter of life and death, the believers may use any other Haraam things except Riba, is not completely accurate!

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan