Q.1. Someone lends a friend a sum of money, but the debtor takes a long time to repay it. Every now and then the debtor assures the lender that he has not forgotten, but nevertheless he fails to repay his debt. What should the lender do to make sure that he gets his money back?
Q.2. A friend of mine works in fixing satellites. He, however, receives commission on dishes and other equipment he supplies. Is this permissible?
Q.3. In our working environment there is much rivalry, with people trying to get to the top on the back of colleagues. To do so, they sometimes resort to lies and fabrications. If one stays away from all that, he is bound to be thought of as unsociable and is likely to become isolated. He is unlikely to be appreciated. Please advise.
Q.4. People circulate prayers and other religious material by e-mail. They ask you to circulate these and say that this will bring you a reward, or other good things. Do we have to do as they say?
V.B. Mirza
A.1. Giving a loan to a person in difficulty is a good action, which earns reward from God and benefits a fellow Muslim. However, people are often discouraged because of what they hear about borrowers taking years to settle a debt or even pay a portion of their loans. In one way this is due to the fact that we often neglect the rules God has made clear in the Qur’an for giving loans and settling them. We often allow social values to take precedence over religious considerations. For example, in social custom a lender should not demand repayment directly, because this will inevitably embarrass him. Yet you may be in bad need of your money and may try to borrow some money from others because your debtor cares little for the effect his delay will have on you.
God has given us very detailed instructions on how to handle our loans. These are specified in the longest verse in the Qur’an, 2: 282. It tells us to specify the time of repayment and to have the loan agreement written down and witnessed by two men or one man and two women. The debtor should be the one who specifies the terms and conditions of the loan. If we do all this, then people will have much less chance of defaulting on their debts, or leaving them unpaid for a long time. It is important also to remember the Hadith, which says: “To delay repayment by a person in funds is an act of injustice.” Needless to say, all injustice is forbidden.
A.2. You have not given me enough details about what your friend does in order to receive commission. If his employers agree with a customer to install a satellite and provide the equipments necessary, with the money paid by the customer to the company, then to charge a commission is not permissible. On the other hand, if the employer does not provide the equipment and the agreement with the customer means that the customer will supply such equipment, and then your friend offers to get it for him and charges commission, then this is perfectly permissible. Yet if your friend’s employers require him to declare to them any such commissions, he must do that. Every thing in a Muslim’s dealings should be clear.
A.3. In some working environments, particularly where competition is keen, there may be many unsavory practices. People may resort to tricks in order to place their colleagues in bad light, or they may claim credit that belongs to someone else, or indulge in backbiting or similar matters. A good Muslim who finds himself in such an environment should refrain from doing anything, which Islam does not approve of. If he hears something bad said of a colleague, he should not repeat it to others. If he has not been involved in a particular action, he should not claim credit for it. If people use vulgar language, he should abstain from doing so. Yet he can remain friendly with all people around him. If others think of him as naïve, he should not mind that. He will soon be appreciated for his good standing. He should do his work to the best of his ability and accept what is good in people without letting their faults affect him. He must also trust in God that He will let him have a way out of any difficulty as long as he himself refrains from what God has forbidden.
A.4. You need not circulate anything of what you receive in your e-mail, even if the sender urges you to do so. No one can make such a demand from others. When you receive a message containing such a prayer, you look at it. If you feel that it contains an exaggeration or something that is not really sound, then abandon it. If you know that it is good and sound, it is entirely up to you whether to send it on to others or not. There is no harm in either way you choose.
