Is It Obligatory to Pay Back the Student Loan?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I took out a student loan when I went to university here in the UK. Once I start earning above a certain amount, I will be deducted from my wages for paying back student loans. As student loans accumulate interest each year and the repayment amount includes an interest element, should I avoid getting a job with a salary above the repayment threshold?
Also, is there an obligation to pay back the student as the likelihood is I will never fully pay off my loan through the automatic deductions/payment they take even if I earned a high salary?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
In the UK, there is no legal obligation to pay back the loan if one’s income is below the threshold amount; in this case, it will be permissible for you to get a job below the threshold. However, it is recommended to take the means to repay the loans as the loan is still considered a debt Islamically.
Muslims Have to Honor Pledges and Commitments
As Muslims, we must fulfill our commitments in three categories: commitments toward Allah Most High, commitments towards oneself, and the rest of humanity.
Allah Most High says in the Quran: “And honor your pledges, for you will surely be accountable for them.” [Quran, 17:34]
Our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Muslims must abide by their conditions (which they have made), except for a condition that makes unlawful something that is lawful, or makes lawful something that is unlawful.” [Tirmidhi]
Check these links:
Should I Start to Repay a Student Loan I Am Not Currently Required To? – SeekersGuidance
Provision and Work: A Reader – SeekersGuidance
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on
SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
