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:

Dear Burhan,

Assalamu Alai kum.

May Allah SWT bless you for the splendid job being done by you.My question is as follows:

The parents of a friend of mine had taken certain amount from his in laws to assist them to celebrate his wedding. Now this was done since they needed some financial assistance.He does not know the intention of his parents whether it was taken as dowry or as some financial assistance. 

This friend of mine now wants to return this money to his in laws so that he washes off this deed from his parents who are not there any more.More importantly his parents might get some Ajar out of this deed being done by my friend.

Pls.advice if he should return this money to his inlaws & if he should return the same amount.    

Jazakallah Hu Khairan.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Taken loan from in laws

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Since the parents of your friend are dead, there is obviously no way for your friend to now determine their exact intentions at the time they took the amount from his in-laws. Secondly brother, the parents of a bride in Islam are not liable to pay any ‘dowry’ to the groom or his parents…..thus it would be best and purest for your friend to assume that the amount his deceased parents took from his in-laws was a loan.

If the righteousness of his in-laws has constrained them from demanding that their loan be repaid by your friend after the death of his parents, it would only be piety and righteousness that your friend, in humility and in gratitude, let his in-laws know that he intends to repay the loan amount his deceased parents took from them at the time of his marriage.

If you friend has the necessary means, it would only be piety and righteousness on his part that he repay that full amount back to his in-laws, and display his gratitude towards them for helping his parents at their hour of need.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan