The Promised Messiah (as) received a letter from a person asking about interest. It stated that since in relation to [receiving] interest from banks, the Promised Messiah (as) has permitted it keeping in mind the current circumstances and the condition of Islam, one should make use of the doctrine of necessity. Thus, since this principle is extendable, can it be made use of to initiate the taking and giving of interest due to necessities of a personal, national, or business character?
The Promised Messiah (as) said:
In this way people wish to open the door of consuming the unlawful and the unclean so that they may go about doing whatsoever they wish. I have not allowed that bank interest may be taken and consumed by any individual due to unavoidable need. What I have said is that it is permissible to use interest on bank accounts for the propagation of Islam and fulfilment of other religious needs. And that is only if funds cannot be obtained for religious needs through other means. This is so because for Allah, nothing is unlawful. And as far as personal, national or trade matters are concerned, interest is absolutely prohibited. The reasoning that I have provided is similar to the fact that it is unlawful by the Shariah to burn a living being in fire, but in case of a war, it is permissible for a Muslim to make use of guns and cannons because the enemy is also using them.
Someone asked about the Tarawih Prayer, that if it is Tahajjud then what is your view about twenty rak’aat [units of Salat] because Tahajjud is only eleven or thirteen rak’aat including Witr.
The Promised Messiah (as) said:
The everlasting sunnah [practice] of the Holy Prophet (sas) is only the eight rak’aat and he used to offer them at the time of tahajjud, and this is the preferred method. However, it is also allowed in the earlier part of the night as well. In one narration it is stated that the Holy Prophet (sas) offered them at the earlier part of the night. Twenty rak’aat were introduced later, but the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sas) was indeed that which has been stated earlier.1
1 Badr, vol. 7, no. 5, p. 7, dated 6 February 1908