An Arabic word that carries the meaning of pretext, ploy, ruse, alleged reason, means, and so on. In Arabic script, it written as follows:
ذريعة (جمع: ذرائع)
Technically, it refers to the application of permissible means or devices to dodge a prohibition such as the case when the contract of sale (ba’i) is used as a means to circumvent the prohibition of riba (usury). For example, the contract of sale in question could be ba’i al-einah (ba’i al-inah) where the underlying commodity is purchased for a deferred price and then sold for a lower spot (cash) price to the same party from whom it was purchased. In this transaction, the difference between the deferred price and cash price is an outspoken riba.
