Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
I lent an invaluable book to a friend and he lost it. Is he financially liable for it?
Yes, he is. Abu Dawood and an-Nasai narrated that, “the Prophet r borrowed a shield from Safwan ibn Umayya on the day of Hunayn and Safwan said, “Are you taking it by force?” So the Prophet r said, ” It is rather a loan under my responsibility.”
It is permissible, however, for you to acquit your friend from his responsibility.
Being financially liable for the book means that your friend is responsible to you for its value on the day of its destruction or loss- as in al-Tuhfa (vol 6, 421) and other books. This is regardless of whether the book’s value on the day of lending was higher or lower than its value on the day of its loss.
– Amjad.
(Translated by Sidi Abu Muhammad Rahil)
[Faraz: note that the ruling is different in the Hanafi school: no compensation is required unless the damage or destruction of a trust (amana) was due to negligence. When there is disagreement, it would be best to seek to resolve it in the spirit of Islamic fraternity. If this dos not work, then the two parties should seek binding arbitration.]