Return of debts
Mu' meneen
Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
i have a question sir about money some body steals from ur account and then they promise to pay it later when they
were caught with proof but instead of settling the amount they spend in xtra lavish spending like travel abroad frequently even
though they have money they give charity feed the poor and no paying of the
debt even though we gave them 4 yrs.time to pay it
off pls suggest if more time should be given when
they are doing all this and having money in their account thank you.
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Answer:
Return of debts
In the
name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness.
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray,
none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
If one
has taken some money from another and promises to pay back later, but for some
reason delays or refuses to pay that amount back; the one to whom the money is
owed has full rights in Islam to take legal action, go to the police or
authorities, etc. and demand that the amount be paid back in full; especially if one who owes the money has the
ability to pay it back, but is unwilling to do so.
But if
one has knowledge that the one who owes the money has the willingness to return
the loan back, but is in strained circumstances, it would be akin to
righteousness and piety to grant them time till it is easy for them to repay;
and if the person who is owed the money remits the amount or part of the amount
by way of Sadaqah, it would earn the Pleasure of the
Merciful Lord and become a source of gaining huge rewards for him in the
Hereafter.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 280-281:
280 If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time till it is easy for
him to repay. But if
ye remit if by way of charity, that is best for you if ye only knew.
281 And fear the day when ye shall be brought back to Allah. Then shall every soul be paid what it earned
and none shall be dealt with unjustly.
The
repayment of debts is considered an extremely serious issue in Islam, and Allah
and His Messenger (saws) have constantly commanded the believers to repay their
debts.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 58: Allah
doth command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due;
and when ye judge between man and man that ye judge with justice: Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He
giveth you! for Allah is He who heareth and seeth all things.
Allah
Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 12: In what your wives leave your share
is a half if they leave no child; but if they leave a child ye get a fourth; after
payment of legacies and debts. In
what ye leave their share is a fourth if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a
child they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in
question has left neither ascendants nor descendants but has left a brother or
a sister each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two they share in a
third; after payment of legacies and debts; so that no loss is caused
(to anyone). Thus is it ordained by
Allah and Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of
Allah (saws) said: "A believer's soul remains in suspense (cannot enter
(Related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi.)
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith
2929 Narrated by Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Jahsh
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “By Him in whose hand
Muhammad's soul is, if
a man were to be killed in Allah's path then come to life, be killed again in
Allah's path then come to life, and be killed once more in Allah's path then
come to life owing a debt, he would not enter Paradise till his debt was
paid."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.585 Narrated
by Abu Huraira
The
Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts
by a wealthy person
is injustice."
Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (saws) said: "If anyone takes other
people's money with the intention to repay it and then he or she should die
without settling the debt, Allah will pay the debt on his behalf. And if anyone takes money or property (of
others) with the intention of destroying it, Allah will destroy him."
(Related
by Bukhari)
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance,
and whatever of error is of me. Allah
Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Wister