A deal with someone who intends not to repay his credit

8-7-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

I bought a product from a person. Who used a credit card to buy this product but his intention was to use credit card and not to repay their money. So I bought the product from this person and I know that he will not return the money to credit company. Will my deal be Halal?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

What this buyer did is a kind of procrastination and it is a kind of aggression as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Procrastination in repaying debts by a wealthy one is injustice" [ al-Bukhari ].
So, it is unlawful for you to buy this commodity from him, otherwise you will be considered as helping him in transgression and Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {… Help you one another in AlBirr and AtTaqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. …} [5: 2].
You should advise him to fear Allah and warn him against transgressing, as transgressions are darknesses on The Day of Judgment. Tell him also to give back to the people their rights. If he has taken the credit card on the basis that he will return the amount he used in addition to an interest, he should then try to avoid paying the interest and pay only the capital as those who give the loan have the right only for the capital not the interest. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {… but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums).} [2: 279].
Allah knows best.