That a person owes me a sum of money, and I have asked him for it several times, but he keeps stalling. He says, and I went to him once and said, “Give me my right, may Allah reward you with good.”
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The questioner : A person owes me a sum of money, and I have asked him for it several times, but he keeps stalling. He says, and I went to him once and said, “Give me my right, may Allah reward you with good.” He said, “I have nothing; be patient like the others.” The truth is, I am a foolish man, so I got angry and said to him, “Look, I hope I go blind the day I stand over you. When Allah guides you, bring it.” Now it has been two years, and I have not seen anyone, nor has anyone come to me. I am regretful of my action and confused because I made a vow to him. He says he sent men to release it, but it did not help. I want to go to my mother and complain about him if he does not pay me. I am afraid of this prayer I made against myself. I hope for a solution to this problem. May Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : This that you prayed for against yourself is, according to some scholars, in the position of an oath, like when a man says, “He is a Jew if he does such and such,” or “He is a Christian if he does such and such,” or something similar. Accordingly, its ruling is the ruling of an oath, meaning that if you return to him and demand your right, it is obligatory for you to pay the expiation for an oath. The expiation for an oath is as Allah the Exalted mentioned in Surat al-Ma'idah:[Al-Ma'idah 5:89] So now, feed ten poor people from the best of what people eat, which in our time is rice. So cook food from rice and invite ten poor people to it and feed them until they have eaten. If you do not do this, then look for a poor family consisting of ten people.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then give them this, and it should be accompanied by meat or something similar that sustains them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Until the feeding is completed, and then you demand your right from him.
The Shaykh : This that you prayed for against yourself is, according to some scholars, in the position of an oath, like when a man says, “He is a Jew if he does such and such,” or “He is a Christian if he does such and such,” or something similar. Accordingly, its ruling is the ruling of an oath, meaning that if you return to him and demand your right, it is obligatory for you to pay the expiation for an oath. The expiation for an oath is as Allah the Exalted mentioned in Surat al-Ma'idah:
So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] - then a fast of three days [is required]
فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبة فمن لم يجد فصيام ثلاثة أيامThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then give them this, and it should be accompanied by meat or something similar that sustains them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Until the feeding is completed, and then you demand your right from him.