Prayer TimesIf a lender says "I forgive the debt," is the borrower still responsible?
Answer: In Sharia, it is permissible to forgive a debt, because the money belongs to the lender and he has the right to dispose of it as he wishes. He may forgive the debt or reduce the principal amount [1]. If the lender forgives the debt, the borrower is no longer responsible for it [2].
Ali Haidar, in his book "Durar al-Hukkam Sharh Majallat al-Ahkam", says: "Article 51: What is removed from one’s responsibility cannot be reclaimed. That is, if someone forgives a right that he is allowed to remove from his responsibility, then that right is no longer his responsibility. After it is removed, it cannot be reclaimed" [3].
Is it better to forgive someone who cannot repay their debt?
Answer: In general, a Muslim has the right to demand repayment. However, if the borrower is in hardship and unable to repay, it is recommended to give them more time. If the lender forgives the debt, he will be rewarded. Allah says in the Qur’an:
وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
“And if the debtor is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease. But if you give [it] up as charity, it is better for you, if you only knew.” [4]
Another verse says:
وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Those who restrain anger and pardon people—Allah loves the doers of good.” [5]
Therefore, if the borrower is in real hardship, it is best to forgive them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“A man used to lend money to people and would say to his son: ‘If someone is in hardship, forgive him, perhaps Allah will forgive us.’ When he met Allah, the Almighty forgave him.” [6]
The Hanafi scholar Ibn Nujaym says: “An obligatory act (fard) is superior to a voluntary act (nafl), except in the following cases, where the voluntary act is better:
Forgiving a debtor in hardship (recommended) is better than merely giving them more time (obligatory).
Initiating the greeting of salam (sunnah) is better than replying to it (obligatory).
Performing wudu before the prayer time enters (recommended) is better than doing it after the time has entered (obligatory for prayer).” [7]
Is it sinful to delay repaying a debt?
Answer: In general, a debt must be repaid on time. If someone is able to repay but delays, it is not allowed [8]. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
مَطْلُ الْغَنِيِّ ظُلْمٌ
“Delaying repayment by someone who is able to pay is injustice.” [9]
Imam Nawawi said: “For a wealthy person, delaying repayment is injustice and haram. For a poor person, since he has an excuse, delaying is neither injustice nor haram. This is understood from the hadith. If a wealthy person does not have money at the moment or has another valid reason, then he may delay repayment.” [10]
Therefore, if someone is able to repay but delays, it is considered sinful.
What should you do if you cannot find the person you owe?
Answer: If you have borrowed money, you should try to repay it to the lender as soon as possible. Hatim al-Asam said: “Haste is from Shaytan, except in five things, which are from the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ): feeding the needy, burying the deceased, marrying off the single, repaying debts, and repenting.” [11]
Therefore, if you owe someone, you should try to repay them quickly. If you cannot find the lender at the time of repayment but hope to meet them later, you should wait. If you lose hope of finding them, but know their heirs, give the money to them. If you do not know the heirs, give the amount as charity on behalf of the lender to the people of his town or region. If you do not know them either, give it as charity to poor Muslims on his behalf. If the lender later appears, explain what happened and tell him you gave charity on his behalf. In this case, the lender can accept the charity as repayment and forgive you, or he can demand repayment. If he demands repayment, you must pay him [12].
Department of Sharia and Fatwa, Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan
[1] “Radd al-Muhtar”, 4/522.
[2] Ilyas Qablan, “al-Qawa‘id al-fiqhiyyah al-mustakhrajah min Radd al-Muhtar”, 114.
[3] Ali Haidar, “Durar al-Hukkam Sharh Majallat al-Ahkam”, 1/54.
[4] Surah al-Baqarah, 2:280.
[5] Surah Al Imran, 3:134.
[6] Bukhari, No. 3480. Muslim, No. 1562.
[7] “al-Ashbah wa al-Nazair”, 131-132.
[8] https://www.aliftaa.jo/Question2.aspx?QuestionId=3681
[9] al-Bukhari No. 2287, Muslim No. 1564.
[10] “Sharh Sahih Muslim”, 10/227.
[11] al-Subki, “Tabaqat al-Shafi‘iyyah al-Kubra”, 6/309.
[12] https://www.aliftaa.jo/Question.aspx?QuestionId=2394
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.