A loan is to be repaid in its own kind

Question

Question: Out of hardship, Zayd borrowed one maund (a unit of weight, ≈ 37 kg) of barley from ‘Umar; at that time the price was 20 rupees. Now two years have passed; ‘Umar demands his grain and says: “I have valued it at the rate of forty rupees.” Is it correct for ‘Umar to take it in this way or not?

Answer

One maund of barley was borrowed, so returning precisely one maund of barley is obligatory; returning its price is not obligatory, whatever the rate may be. Hence he has no right to collect it by valuing it at forty rupees. [ar]الأَقْرَاضُ تُقْضَى بِأَمْثَالِهَا[/ar] “Loans are repaid with their like.”

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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