Is it permissible to take an interest-bearing loan from banks in cases of extreme necessity, after exhausting all permissible means, especially given that these banks build public facilities that benefit the general populace, thus rendering what they take as usury akin to the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal)?
Necessities permit the forbidden, and the proof for this is Allah's saying: (But whoever is forced by necessity, neither desiring it nor transgressing, there is no sin upon him) [Al-An'am: 3]. Borrowing with interest is forbidden by শরীয়াহ because it is usury, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed the one who consumes it, the one who feeds it, its scribe, and its two witnesses. It is only permissible in a state of necessity where it is highly probable that a person will face destruction, unbearable hardship, or inability to secure the minimum necessities of life. The statement that an usurious bank is equivalent to the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal) is false. What is in the Muslim treasury belongs to all Muslims, derived from zakat and charities, whereas the funds of an usurious bank are owned by specific individuals, and the bank operates on usury, which is an act of war against Allah and His Messenger. Even if it performs charitable deeds, the name of usury does not cease to apply to it.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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