I borrowed money from some people and have spent it, and I do not have the amount to return to them because I am poor, and I am in a state of confusion for fear that death may overtake me.

The questioner : I borrowed a sum of money from some people and have spent that sum, and I do not have the amount to return to these people because I am a poor man, and I am in a state of confusion due to my fear that death may overtake me before I am able to pay off the debt. What is the ruling in this matter if these people do not forgive me?

The Shaykh : It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: So if this poor man who borrowed from people has the intention that he will pay it back, then Allah the Exalted will pay it back for him, either by making it easy for him in this world before he dies, or by making it easy for Allah to provide someone to pay it back for him, or by Allah paying it back for him on the Day of Resurrection.
But I would like to offer advice to some people who are negligent regarding debt and borrow for things they do not need, let alone things they have a dire necessity for, thereby burdening their backs with debts for matters of luxury that they do not need, but rather for the sake of showing off. This is an error on their part and a shortcoming. If a person has nothing, let him restrict himself to what Allah has given him only, and not borrow for matters for which he has no dire necessity. Indeed, debt is a matter of great significance. It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that: , and it is established from him that if a funeral was brought to him with a debt upon it, and the deceased did not leave behind payment for this debt, he would not pray over him, as in the hadith of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): that a man from the Ansar died with two dinars upon him, then they brought him to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to pray over him, so he took a few steps and then said: They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! Two dinars. So he stepped back and said: Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The two dinars are upon me, O Messenger of Allah. He said (peace and blessings be upon him): He said: Yes. So he stepped forward and prayed. Then when Allah opened for him through the conquests, he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: and he used to pay off the debts of the deceased and pray over them. If this is the status of debt, then it is not befitting for a person of intellect, let alone a believer, to be negligent regarding it.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.