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Can you be late on loan repayments and still pray on time?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulifta-Deoband.com
If someone borrows money and does not return on time and makes it a habit by taking it from different people but he/she is very punctual in offering namaz of all 5 times along with tahajjud, how he/she is right or wrong as per Islamic rules and what is the punishment for it?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(Fatwa: 288/258/D=3/1439)

Islam has set some commandments in Shari’ah which are related to Allah such as salah, fast, zakah and other worships etc, and some commandments are related to the creatures like (dealings, social life, morals etc) for example, obeying and respecting one’s parents, taking care of one’s wife and children, behaving one’s neighbours well, keeping dealings transparent; and paying the debt of a person on time also includes this. It is injustice to make unnecessary delay [in the payment of debt]. It is recorded in one Hadith:

مطل الغني ظلم .

[Translation: Delay (in the payment of debt) on the part of a rich man is injustice.]

 

And if a person has given someone a debt then he should grant him time to pay the debt at his convenience, as giving more time is cause of forgiveness, which is known by a narration of Bukhari. The person who practices these two types of commandments is true Muslim. If someone acts upon one type of commandment and ignores the other one then he cannot be true believer in the sight of Shariah. Hence it is mandatory that the person in the question is made understood with wisdom and he is apprised of the warnings which are found for those who make a delay in paying the debt or not paying a debt. It is possible that he receives taufiq from Allah to follow it.

ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ [النحل : 125]

[Translation: Invite (people) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good counsel. And argue with them in the best of manners. Surely, your Lord knows best the one who deviates from His way, and He knows best the ones who are on the right path].

Allah knows Best!

Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband

This answer was collected from the official ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband in India.

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