An Introduction to Financial Sacrifice — Page 134
134 At a time of dire need, when it is a question of saving one’s life, it is not forbidden to eat pork. Is it, therefore, not permissible to use interest money for the supremacy of Islam, when its very life is in danger? I believe that not only is it lawful to do so, but it is essential that this be done. " 154 Then at another occasion the Promised Messiah as said: "My belief, upon which I have established by Allah, and which is also the purport of the Holy Qur’an, is that money gained from interest cannot be considered lawful for ourselves, our children, our friends or our relatives. It is unclean and its use is unlawful ( H ar a m ). But at the time of helplessness of Islam, when our faith is in dire need of financial assistance, it is incumbent upon us to help Islam… …What I mean is that when it is permissible to eat pork at a time of compelling need for the requirement of the self, then what is the harm in using money gained from interest in support of Islam and for rescuing the faith from destruction? This permission is conditional in relation to time and place. It is not something which will always be lawful. When Islam will no longer be in such a precarious state, then it will become similarly unlawful to use interest for its cause, for the basic injunction regarding interest is that it is unlawful. " 155 Someone’s letter reached the Promised Messiah as , in which he said: ‘ H u du r has allowed for the current age and condition of Islam to be taken as a case of desperate need. Since the principal of desperation is increasing, is it therefore permissible to lend or borrow on interest in case of personal, national, or commercial necessity?’ H u du r said: 154 Al- H akam , September 24, 1905. 155 Al-Badr , September 29, 1905.