Moroccan Islamic scholar Hussein Al Meftah sparked debate when he said during a televised program on Thursday that Muslims with urgent housing needs may, in certain cases, be permitted to take out loans payable with interest.
Al Meftah said Islamic law permits actions that would otherwise be prohibited in situations of genuine necessity. He cited a verse from the Quran that provides: “Whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
According to the scholar, individuals must assess their own circumstances to determine whether they truly have such a necessity. He added that people in urgent need of housing, and lacking viable alternatives, may therefore resort to conventional bank loans payable with interest.
His remarks sparked controversy in Morocco, where interest-based banking remains a sensitive religious and social issue.
Under Islamic law, riba — commonly interpreted as interest charged on loans — is widely considered prohibited. However, scholars differ on how the concept applies to modern banking systems. Most Islamic scholars maintain that both paying and receiving interest is forbidden, while a minority argue that modern bank interest does not always constitute riba, particularly when lending conditions are not excessively exploitative.
The controversy is not new in Morocco. In March 2024, Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq faced criticism after stating during a Royal Ramadan lecture that not all bank loans should automatically be considered forbidden under Islamic law.
Morocco introduced Islamic banking in 2018 to offer alternatives for customers reluctant to use conventional interest-based loans.
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