We have a custom in cases of marriage and circumcision where each person gives a sum of money to the groom or the guardian of the one being circumcised, and if another person marries, he is given the same amount of money.
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The questioner : He says: Among the customs in our Sudan, in cases of marriage and circumcision, one of us pays a sum of money to the groom or to the guardian of the one being circumcised to help him with the marriage. When another person marries, that groom pays the new groom, that is, he returns it as if it were a debt he is repaying, but more than the amount that had been paid to him. If this matter is a form of cooperation and falls under the category of Sunan Abi Dawud 1672Sahih (Al-Albani), what is the ruling on this increase? For example, if I pay him one hundred riyals for his marriage, and he gives me three hundred for my marriage, I ask: Is this increase considered riba (usury or interest), or is it halal (lawful)?
The Shaykh : The question here includes two issues. The first issue is what is given at the time of circumcision as assistance to the guardian of the one being circumcised.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second is what is given to the married man as assistance for his marriage. As for circumcision... it is given to the guardian. There is no harm in it if he is bearing a heavy financial burden, so he is given assistance. But if he is not bearing a heavy financial burden, as is commonly known, then there is no need to give him assistance for that.
As for the issue of the groom or the married man, it is also permissible to assist him, and this assistance is not considered a loan. Therefore, if the married man who was assisted dies, this assistance does not remain a debt in his estate, nor is it taken from his inheritance. This indicates that it is not a loan, nor is it in the ruling of a loan, but it is merely assistance. If the groom assists the other married man with more money than he was assisted with, there is no harm in it, because this falls under the category of doing good, excellence in worship, and reward. A person has no harm in rewarding someone who did him a favor with more than that favor, for that is the height of generosity. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) borrowed a camel and they did not find anything to repay it with except a choice of four camels, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning, give the lender . Yes.
The questioner : Yes, this is a message from the questioner J.M.A. from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says:
if anyone does you a kindness, recompense him
من صنع إليكم معروفاً فكافئوهThe Shaykh : The question here includes two issues. The first issue is what is given at the time of circumcision as assistance to the guardian of the one being circumcised.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second is what is given to the married man as assistance for his marriage. As for circumcision... it is given to the guardian. There is no harm in it if he is bearing a heavy financial burden, so he is given assistance. But if he is not bearing a heavy financial burden, as is commonly known, then there is no need to give him assistance for that.
As for the issue of the groom or the married man, it is also permissible to assist him, and this assistance is not considered a loan. Therefore, if the married man who was assisted dies, this assistance does not remain a debt in his estate, nor is it taken from his inheritance. This indicates that it is not a loan, nor is it in the ruling of a loan, but it is merely assistance. If the groom assists the other married man with more money than he was assisted with, there is no harm in it, because this falls under the category of doing good, excellence in worship, and reward. A person has no harm in rewarding someone who did him a favor with more than that favor, for that is the height of generosity. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) borrowed a camel and they did not find anything to repay it with except a choice of four camels, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Give it to him
أعطوهFor the best of you are those who are best in repaying their debts
فإن خياركم أحسنه قضاءًThe questioner : Yes, this is a message from the questioner J.M.A. from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says: