Accepting the invitation of the debtor
Q: I have a friend, who borrowed some money from me a while back. He sits in a grocery shop, owned by another friend who is out for three chilla. I often go there and even sit with him in the shop and talk. From the beginning of our friendship we often entertain each other (with food). However after giving him the loan I was feeling reluctant to accept his invitation. I even expressed my cause of reluctance to him, to which he replied that he did not have any such intention prior to inviting me. Hearing this I accepted his invitation, keeping in mind our friendship that existed even before giving him the loan.
Recently I heard a lecture where Maulana Sulaiman Moola narrated a story (which more or less means) that Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) did not even take the shade of the tree of a person to whom he had loaned some money, cause he did not wanted to get any benefit from a person to whom he gave a loan.
(After hearing this) The next time that friend of mine invited me; I politely refused to accept it citing my reason. Now please enlighten me on what to do. Should I make a rough calculation of the amount that he might have spent to entertain me, and then when I take back the money should I take that amount less and what about my friends remark about his intention. Please let me know what can I do?
A: If you enjoyed a relationship of friendship before the loan arrangement and the standard of the food and courtesy was in accordance to the previous relationship then it is permissible for you to accept the hospitality. If it was different i.e. above the type of hospitality that you are used to, then this is an area of doubt. You should refrain from this.
وعن أنس قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أقرض أحدكم قرضا فأهدى إليه أو حمله على الدابة فلا يركبه ولا يقبلها إلا أن يكون جرى بينه وبينه قبل ذلك رواه ابن ماجه والبيهقي في شعب الإيمان (مشكاة رقم 2831)
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