Is the act of masturbation, when desire intensifies—for the purpose of alleviating it and without pleasure or fantasies—considered a necessity that makes it permissible, especially with the widespread fitan (temptations/tribulations) and the difficulty of resisting desire?

Masturbation is not permissible for the aforementioned purpose except out of necessity, which is the fear of illness or falling into fornication (zina). One must resist lust through dhikr (remembrance of God), supplication (du'a), keeping away from its causes, and associating with the righteous.