Loans & Debts

Q: Is it permissible to use credit cards as long as I pay off the balance without having to pay interest?

Q: I want to undertake a journey to Masjid-ul-Aqsa. However I do not have sufficient funds. The only asset I have is a car which is worth about R40 000. Can I take a loan to cover the trip maybe in the region of R20 000 and make it to that in the event of anything happening to me the car must be sold and the loan paid?

Q: My husband has recently handed his unpaid accounts owing to him, over to a debt collector. Recently he has found out that the debt collectors are frauds, they don't exist. I know his debtors haven't as yet settled their accounts with him, should he inform them of these bogus collectors.

Q: My father had been for Hajj over 10 years ago. At the time he had a very close friend who he had owed some money to. Before going for hajj, he went to his friend to pay off whatever money he owed him but his friend refused, saying go and enjoy your hajj, and being friends, he kept saying don't worry bout all of that now. So my dad went for his hajj, when he got back, a short time later, his friend past away in a car accident. My father is now older and is not working anymore due to his health , but because his friend never directly say don't pay me, its been worrying my father and so he decided to save up the money that he would have had to pay his friend and give it to his friend's son, who has no knowledge of this. After many months of saving, as he is now unemployed, he managed to save the money and was going to get the money sent to the son via a mutual friend within the week. Then within the weekend his house was burgled and the safe was stolen with the money in it. Does my father still have to save again and pay the money?

Q: I have saved up enough money to make Hajj become fardh on me however, I still have a substanial balance left on the car which I drive. What comes first, do I pay the car off or do I make intention and effort to go for hajj?

Q: We have business tenants who persistently don’t pay rentals on time. It appears that they are in fact able to pay, but deliberately withhold the money and instead utilise it to effect early settlement with suppliers in order to get an early settlement discount. In the case of such tenants, is it permissible to charge a late payment fee if the rental due is not paid on time?

Q: Is it permissible to use a credit card if one ensures that the balance is always positive and never goes into credit? Also, interest is paid to the cardholder because the account has money in it, but every month the amount is reversed when requested.

Q: I loaned 80 000 rupees to someone in 2012 and I told them that when they pay me back, they should pay me in dollars. Is it permissible in Islam or should I take it in rupees?

Q: A loan of 100 000 was given to someone. Sometime thereafter, the government devalued the currency by 50%. What amount should the debtor repay?

Q: A brother uses his cellphone as a modem. Unfortunately he contracted a virus. The effect of this was that as soon as he put on his phone the counter was just running. The result was that his account which normally comes to about R250.00 came to R5500.00. After investigating it was found that this was caused by the virus.

The service provider says that it is not their problem and they want the account to be settled. Will it be permissible for the brother to pay this account using interest money?