What is the ruling on 'Umrah for one who has a debt?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I mean, we had decided—praise be to Allah—but there is another thing that prevented me; it is the debt.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The debt; the money.
The Shaykh : The debt, yes, okay?
The questioner : I asked a shaykh—in the mosque, of course—and I told him the story! I have a debt, and if Allah wills, I will go on 'Umrah this year; so he said to me: No, if you have a debt, do not go. So what is the ruling in this matter?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide them, these shaykhs, who issue fatwas based on ignorance.
The questioner : What is the answer that most of them gave? I asked the same question; so they said to me: If you have money that covers the value of this debt, or if you sell something and it can cover it, or if someone pays it off for you, you can go. But if you do not have money for the value of the debt, or no one is there to pay it off for you, you must remain until you pay them, and then you can go. And if you have something [owed] and you want to go, you ask the one to whom you owe the debt; if he permits you to go, you go; if he does not permit you...
The Shaykh : This last answer is the correct answer, with some detail; meaning, the matter goes back to the owner of the money who lent to you. As for the detail, if there is an agreed date for repayment between you and the creditor, and he is insistent on this date for repayment, in this case it is not permissible for you to travel for 'Umrah. But if he says to you: I have no objection, and if the due date arrives and you are absent, I have no objection; then at that time there is no objection to your performing 'Umrah at all, even if you have a debt; but on the condition that you know that you will be able to repay this debt if Allah writes for you a safe return.
The questioner : And if the creditor is not in the country, for example?
The Shaykh : He is not in the country either! Okay, now if we leave the topic of 'Umrah. Now this...The Shaykh : The one who said to you: No, do not go perform 'Umrah; did I tell you what I just told you now?
The questioner : No, this is a question I am asking.
The Shaykh : How is it a question?
The questioner : Is it, for example, that a person who has a debt is not allowed to perform 'Umrah or not? He said: No.
The Shaykh : I am not answering you, you just put, as they say: a stick in the wheel. You said the creditor is not here.
The questioner : The creditor is not here.
The Shaykh : No problem, that is why I am telling you now that the one who told you it is not permissible, did you show him that the creditor is not here?
The questioner : No, I did not show him.
The Shaykh : That is it. Now look at the difference between your answer and his answer. He said that so-and-so, meaning—without specifying—told him such and such, meaning he gave details about the matter, the last of which is that the matter goes back to whom? To the owner of the debt.
The Shaykh: So I am saying now, if as far as you are concerned the creditor is not in the country, does that mean there is no contact between you and him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : There is no contact, okay, here you want to study the matter yourself. Why do you not give him the debt he wants from you, why do you not repay it to him?
The questioner : Because I do not know where he is.
The Shaykh : Ah! That is better! So what prevents you from going to perform 'Umrah?
The questioner : Fear. I do not know, meaning.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Because I am afraid; is it, for example, that the 'Umrah I want to perform, will Allah accept it from me or not?
The Shaykh : As long as I assume in you one of two things: and it is better to assume good of you, that if you saw him or knew his location, you would have paid it off.
The questioner : One hundred percent.
The Shaykh : Right? So what are you afraid of now?
The questioner : By Allah! I do not know!
Abu Layla : Then set out for 'Umrah.
The Shaykh : They do not allow him 'Umrah now.
The questioner : Now there is no 'Umrah.
The Shaykh : It is gone, there is no objection at all in this case to 'Umrah. There is no objection except in the case where the owner of the debt insists; I do not permit you to go; because if you go, the due date for repayment will arrive, and you have not repaid me.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The debt; the money.
The Shaykh : The debt, yes, okay?
The questioner : I asked a shaykh—in the mosque, of course—and I told him the story! I have a debt, and if Allah wills, I will go on 'Umrah this year; so he said to me: No, if you have a debt, do not go. So what is the ruling in this matter?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide them, these shaykhs, who issue fatwas based on ignorance.
The questioner : What is the answer that most of them gave? I asked the same question; so they said to me: If you have money that covers the value of this debt, or if you sell something and it can cover it, or if someone pays it off for you, you can go. But if you do not have money for the value of the debt, or no one is there to pay it off for you, you must remain until you pay them, and then you can go. And if you have something [owed] and you want to go, you ask the one to whom you owe the debt; if he permits you to go, you go; if he does not permit you...
The Shaykh : This last answer is the correct answer, with some detail; meaning, the matter goes back to the owner of the money who lent to you. As for the detail, if there is an agreed date for repayment between you and the creditor, and he is insistent on this date for repayment, in this case it is not permissible for you to travel for 'Umrah. But if he says to you: I have no objection, and if the due date arrives and you are absent, I have no objection; then at that time there is no objection to your performing 'Umrah at all, even if you have a debt; but on the condition that you know that you will be able to repay this debt if Allah writes for you a safe return.
The questioner : And if the creditor is not in the country, for example?
The Shaykh : He is not in the country either! Okay, now if we leave the topic of 'Umrah. Now this...The Shaykh : The one who said to you: No, do not go perform 'Umrah; did I tell you what I just told you now?
The questioner : No, this is a question I am asking.
The Shaykh : How is it a question?
The questioner : Is it, for example, that a person who has a debt is not allowed to perform 'Umrah or not? He said: No.
The Shaykh : I am not answering you, you just put, as they say: a stick in the wheel. You said the creditor is not here.
The questioner : The creditor is not here.
The Shaykh : No problem, that is why I am telling you now that the one who told you it is not permissible, did you show him that the creditor is not here?
The questioner : No, I did not show him.
The Shaykh : That is it. Now look at the difference between your answer and his answer. He said that so-and-so, meaning—without specifying—told him such and such, meaning he gave details about the matter, the last of which is that the matter goes back to whom? To the owner of the debt.
The Shaykh: So I am saying now, if as far as you are concerned the creditor is not in the country, does that mean there is no contact between you and him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : There is no contact, okay, here you want to study the matter yourself. Why do you not give him the debt he wants from you, why do you not repay it to him?
The questioner : Because I do not know where he is.
The Shaykh : Ah! That is better! So what prevents you from going to perform 'Umrah?
The questioner : Fear. I do not know, meaning.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Because I am afraid; is it, for example, that the 'Umrah I want to perform, will Allah accept it from me or not?
The Shaykh : As long as I assume in you one of two things: and it is better to assume good of you, that if you saw him or knew his location, you would have paid it off.
The questioner : One hundred percent.
The Shaykh : Right? So what are you afraid of now?
The questioner : By Allah! I do not know!
Abu Layla : Then set out for 'Umrah.
The Shaykh : They do not allow him 'Umrah now.
The questioner : Now there is no 'Umrah.
The Shaykh : It is gone, there is no objection at all in this case to 'Umrah. There is no objection except in the case where the owner of the debt insists; I do not permit you to go; because if you go, the due date for repayment will arrive, and you have not repaid me.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.