On housing and the necessity argument
Sh. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz Ibn Bāz (d. 1999)
What this source says
He who seeks to permit conventional housing finance under the rubric of necessity has misunderstood the classical concept of ḍarūra. Necessity in the Shariah refers to that which prevents the perishing of life, religion, intellect, lineage, or property. It does not refer to the strong preference for ownership over tenancy, however legitimate that preference may be in itself. Renting is shelter; ownership is comfort. The Shariah does not lift its prohibitions for the sake of comfort.
Wording inside quotation marks is quoted from the source. The rest is this notebook’s summary of it — read the original before relying on it.
Provenance
- Source
- Documented from Majmūʿ Fatāwā Ibn Bāz (multi-volume) + Permanent Committee deliberations during his chairmanship
- School / basis
- Ḥanbalī · former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
- Added
- 2026-05-27
- Trust
- A position recorded from a named, published source — reported accurately, not independently adjudicated.
Compiler’s note
The most-cited historical strict-prohibition position. Useful for /why critique of ECFR ḥājah framing.
Topics
ribahousingnecessitydarura
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