Are Sinful Acts Permissible in Dire Situations?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is a sinful act committed out of necessity, such as eating pork to survive or working in a prohibited profession to earn money, still considered haram?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
When a person encounters a life-threatening situation with no permissible option, the principles detailed below allow for actions necessary to preserve life. For the individuals faced with such situations, the unlawful becomes lawful with restrictions.
Allah (Most High) says:
“He has only forbidden you to eat carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—they will not be sinful. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran, 2:173]
“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden to eat except carrion, running blood, swine—which is impure—or a sinful offering in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—then surely your Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran, 6:145]
“He has only forbidden you to eat carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran, 16:115]
From these verses and additional textual evidence, our scholars have derived key maxims about extreme circumstances:
Necessity makes the unlawful lawful (al-darurat tubihu al-mahzurat).
This maxim teaches that when one faces a dire situation threatening their life or basic needs, an otherwise prohibited act may become permissible temporarily.
Necessities are limited to the extent required (al-darurat tuqaddaru bi qadariha).
This means that concessions are made only to the extent of the necessity and no more.
Application of These Principles
When a person encounters a life-threatening situation with no permissible option, the above principles allow for actions necessary to preserve life. For instance, consuming prohibited food or temporarily working in an otherwise impermissible field may be allowed strictly to address the pressing need. It should end as soon as viable alternatives arise. Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Mohammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
