Procrastinates while he is able to pay back his debt

24-8-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu'aleikum, A person borrowed money from his friend. Then they got into a serious argument after which they started to avoid each other (the borrower betrayed his friend). Now his ex-friend asked for his money back but although the borrower is able to pay, he refuses. Should his ex-friend forgive him (which he doesn't really want to do because of the harm this person caused him by betraying him), invoke Allah to punish him on the Day of Resurrection, or try to get his money back with the help of others (which is unlikely to be successful)? Please advise, may Allah bless you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

It is not permissible for a person who owes money to others to procrastinate while being able to give back the money to its owner; otherwise he is an unjust person and a transgressor.

The person who is rich and able to repay his debts but procrastinates, deserves punishment in this world and the Hereafter. Among his punishment in this worldly life, is to take him to court and supplicate against him in order to take back one’s right from him.

The creditor is not obliged to forgive the procrastinator but it is desirable for him to forgive a person who is in difficulty to repay because it is an obligation to give respite to a person in difficulty, and remitting his debt (by way of charity) is desirable; one gets the reward of charity for whoever does so.  

Finally, it should be noted that if there is a religious reason for deserting a person, then there is no sin upon the person who deserts him. Moreover, deserting such a person has no time limit, but only the religious benefit should be observed and it depends on what extent this affects the deserted person.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 86772.

Allaah Knows best.