The Ruling on Lying to Refuse a Delinquent Debtor
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A listener from Egypt residing in the Kingdom (Yusuf A.) says: When someone asks me for a loan, I decline on the pretext that I do not have money, even though I do, out of fear of losing the money; for I have previously lent to many people, and they refused to repay?
Answer:
It is obligatory that you decline with an excuse other than lack of money. You should decline with a plausible excuse and leave out the claim of having no money. Do not lie; there is no need for lying. Decline with another appropriate excuse that convinces your counterpart, that convinces your friend, and praise be to Allah. If you trust your friend and you are well-off, then be good to him, relieve his distress, and rejoice in good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 2699a.
Lending involves relief, so if you are able to provide relief, do so. If you fear loss and that this borrower will not fulfill the obligation, then decline with another excuse. For example, you might say, "I am unable to," while intending that you are unable because you do not trust him and are not at ease with him. Or you may bring up another excuse, saying for example, "There is an obstacle preventing me from lending," without specifying what the obstacle is.
The point is: you bring up a plausible excuse so that you are not lying. Yes.
The presenter : Allah is the One to be sought for help. May Allah reward you with good, and may He reward you.
A listener from Egypt residing in the Kingdom (Yusuf A.) says: When someone asks me for a loan, I decline on the pretext that I do not have money, even though I do, out of fear of losing the money; for I have previously lent to many people, and they refused to repay?
Answer:
It is obligatory that you decline with an excuse other than lack of money. You should decline with a plausible excuse and leave out the claim of having no money. Do not lie; there is no need for lying. Decline with another appropriate excuse that convinces your counterpart, that convinces your friend, and praise be to Allah. If you trust your friend and you are well-off, then be good to him, relieve his distress, and rejoice in good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection
من نفس عن مؤمن كربة من كرب الدنيا؛ نفس الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامةLending involves relief, so if you are able to provide relief, do so. If you fear loss and that this borrower will not fulfill the obligation, then decline with another excuse. For example, you might say, "I am unable to," while intending that you are unable because you do not trust him and are not at ease with him. Or you may bring up another excuse, saying for example, "There is an obstacle preventing me from lending," without specifying what the obstacle is.
The point is: you bring up a plausible excuse so that you are not lying. Yes.
The presenter : Allah is the One to be sought for help. May Allah reward you with good, and may He reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.