Is it permissible to borrow with interest from a bank to pay off debts, cover educational expenses, and meet essential needs?

Borrowing with conditional interest is absolutely forbidden except in cases of dire necessity. Paying off debts and purchasing luxury items do not constitute dire necessity. Sheikh Maududi said: "Not every necessity falls under the category of dire need when it comes to borrowing with interest. Indeed, extravagance in wedding ceremonies, celebrations, and mourning gatherings is not a true necessity. Similarly, buying a car or building a house is not a true necessity. Likewise, accumulating luxuries or preparing capital for business promotion is not a matter of necessity. These and similar matters, which may be described as necessity and dire need, for which usurers borrow thousands of liras, have no weight or value in the sight of Islamic law. And those who pay interest for such purposes are sinful." There is no difference in the prohibition of this, whether the interest is little or much. The advice for anyone who needs cash is to seek out Islamic banks and enter into Murabaha contracts with them, such as Tawarruq and Murabaha, and the like, provided they adhere to Sharia (definition) regulations.