Claiming a Debt after Acquitting the Debtor

Question: May a creditor demand the repayment of debt after he has already verbally acquitted the debtor of the debt?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Once a creditor verbally acquits the debtor of the debt, there is no longer any debt. Given that there is no longer any debt, the creditor may no longer demand that the debt be repaid. He may not simply change his mind.

For example, if someone lent someone some money, and then told him that he didn’t have to pay him back. If he then decided that he did want the money, after all, he cannot go back on his word, because there simply isn’t any debt anymore.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language