Loans & Debts

Doubting if one has settled his accounts during his student days

Q: A person has been attending a madressa. At the madressa there is a tuck shop which allows the students to take things on credit. As a student many things were bought on credit and paid later. A few years later the student has doubts in their mind as to whether they have paid their accounts accordingly. What can the person do besides asking Allah for forgiveness?

Bogus debt collectors

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.

Settling one's debts

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?

Charging the tenant an extra fee for late payment

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?

Using Credit Cards

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.