Is it permissible to borrow food, bread, and grains?
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Question : He says: I am one of the farmers, and when it comes to sowing, we need some types of good seeds that we do not have, so we are forced to borrow from another farmer on the condition that we return the same amount at harvest, but not hand-to-hand. Likewise, if a merchant is short on rice, for example, he takes twenty bags from his neighbor and then returns them when his goods arrive. What is the ruling on this practice?
Answer : There is no harm in it; that is, there is no harm in borrowing food such as wheat, rice, dates, and the like, because a loan is not a sale, but rather a loan is a favor, meaning it is a facilitation for the borrower. It is permissible for a person to borrow grains from his neighbor and return the same. If he borrowed from him from the sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), how much does he return?
One hundred sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg). How much does he return? One hundred sa'. Good. If he said, "I did not lend; I am lending you one hundred sa' on the condition that you return one hundred and ten to me," this is forbidden (haram). It has become a sale, and it was no longer a favor, because the intended favor is doing good. If he said, "I am lending you one hundred sa' of medium wheat on the condition that you return it to me in the best wheat," is this permissible or not? Why? Because this is a sale, not a favor. If he said, "I lent you one hundred sa' of wheat on the condition that you return the same to me," is this permissible or not? It is permissible, yes, it is permissible, because this is what is obligatory. If he said, "I lent you one hundred sa' of wheat on the condition that you return less than it, meaning lower in quality; I lent him good wheat and said you return medium," is this permissible or not? Yes, it is permissible, because this is an increase in the favor; he increased the favor for him. In any case, it is permissible to lend food and return the same, as mentioned regarding the farmer or the shopkeeper who says to his neighbor, "Lend me ten bags," and he returns ten bags of bread. It is permissible. Guests came to him and he said to his neighbor, "Lend me ten loaves of bread," is this permissible or not? And he returns ten to him.
Answer : There is no harm in it; that is, there is no harm in borrowing food such as wheat, rice, dates, and the like, because a loan is not a sale, but rather a loan is a favor, meaning it is a facilitation for the borrower. It is permissible for a person to borrow grains from his neighbor and return the same. If he borrowed from him from the sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), how much does he return?
One hundred sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg). How much does he return? One hundred sa'. Good. If he said, "I did not lend; I am lending you one hundred sa' on the condition that you return one hundred and ten to me," this is forbidden (haram). It has become a sale, and it was no longer a favor, because the intended favor is doing good. If he said, "I am lending you one hundred sa' of medium wheat on the condition that you return it to me in the best wheat," is this permissible or not? Why? Because this is a sale, not a favor. If he said, "I lent you one hundred sa' of wheat on the condition that you return the same to me," is this permissible or not? It is permissible, yes, it is permissible, because this is what is obligatory. If he said, "I lent you one hundred sa' of wheat on the condition that you return less than it, meaning lower in quality; I lent him good wheat and said you return medium," is this permissible or not? Yes, it is permissible, because this is an increase in the favor; he increased the favor for him. In any case, it is permissible to lend food and return the same, as mentioned regarding the farmer or the shopkeeper who says to his neighbor, "Lend me ten bags," and he returns ten bags of bread. It is permissible. Guests came to him and he said to his neighbor, "Lend me ten loaves of bread," is this permissible or not? And he returns ten to him.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[9 من 61] هل يجوز اقتراض الطعام والخبز والحبوب؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.
