What is the way to earn a pure lawful livelihood and avoid usury and other prohibitions, in light of current economic conditions, and is refraining from work due to fears of usury an exaggeration or correct?

Seeking lawful sustenance is an obligation upon the believer, as stated in the Qudsi Hadith: "Indeed, Allah is good and accepts only what is good." It is obligatory to avoid idleness and despair, for Allah's earth is vast and the lawful is abundant. One should emulate the predecessors in seeking lawful sustenance, not in their means and methods of obtaining it, for every era has its own circumstances. The questioner should strive on earth to seek lawful sustenance, while avoiding usurious transactions and gambling, except in cases of extreme necessity.