What is the criterion for the principle dire necessities?

Answered by our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him – on the 3rd, Thil-Qi’dah, 1423H

Question:

What is the criterion for the principle dire necessities?

Answer:

Dire necessity is that which is determined by the legislation, and the people of knowledge mention it’s that when afflicted by it, result in unendurable harm, either to the individual himself or his wealth.

Then some people expanded the criterion of dire necessity, and made: shaving of the beard and looking at satellite channels, wearing pants, free mixing education, and bigoted groups & parties, and voting a dire necessity!

And they are not, rather these affairs are prohibited and not a dire necessity.

Translated by : Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani

Original Fatwa:
الكنز الثمين في الإجابة على أسئلة طلبة العلم والزائرين (5 (https://www.sh-yahia.net/show_books_40.html)
Under: أصول الفقه
Entitled: ضابط الضرورة في الشريعة