<![CDATA[Public reliance on informal interest-bearing credit remains a critical challenge in agrarian communities. This study aims to identify the factors driving public economic dependence on moneylenders in South Kauman, Pasaman Regency, and analyze these practices under qardh concepts and riba prohibitions in fiqh muamalah. Utilizing a qualitative field research approach, primary data were gathered through in-depth interviews with borrowers, moneylenders, religious leaders, and local officials. The findings reveal that dependence is triggered by agricultural income crises from declining rice yields, urgent primary needs, instant disbursement procedures, and limited access to formal Islamic financial institutions. From a fiqh muamalah perspective, the 10% to 30% interest rates and daily late fees strictly deviate from the social nature of qardh. This mechanism is explicitly classified as prohibited riba qardh because the community's financial pressure constitutes only a necessity (ḥājat) rather than a life-threatening emergency (ḍarūrah). This research contributes to informing local policy on the urgency of establishing accessible micro-Islamic financial institutions at the village level to curb exploitative practices.
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