debt

Giving money to the musjid with the intention of settling one's debt

Q: I have a debt with my friend. He payed for a bowling event and I was supposed to pay him back. I've been wanting to pay him back but everytime I tried to pay him back he said that we will talk about it next time. However he did not say he will forgive my debt. How am I supposed to deal with this? I know that having a debt and not paying it can be a hurdle for me to enter heaven. If I donate it to the mosque will it considered as done? My previous teacher told me that as long as the person is still alive, I have to pay him. Its been a year already.

Going for hajj while paying off a mortgage

Q: I would like to go for hajj and we have enough money for my husband and I to go but we have a house mortgage that we took 7 years ago ( I understand it is not allowed to take interest based mortgage but I was then advised by a local Mufti Saheb in England that as there are no other options and I had been paying rent for so many years it would be permissible as not for business purpose and purpose is to live in the house). I do not have enough money to pay it off but have enough for hajj. It will take me at least another 5 years to pay the mortgage off. Do we need to postpone hajj and pay off the mortgage first or can we go for hajj first?

Returning outstanding money to the creditor

Q: I have taken/borrowed some money from a shop as I do not have enough money. I told the shopkeeper that I will give you the remaining amount next time I come, so he agreed and he further reminded me to pay otherwise on dooms day Allah will ask me about it. I didn't give him the remaining amount but now few months later I visited his shop to pay the remaining amount but the shop has been closed. When I asked about him from some of his neighbour's shops, they told me that he has closed his shop from here. I want to pay him his remaining amount. Can you guide me what I have to do?