Smoking the hookah and serving others with borrowed money

Question

Question: Zayd has become bankrupt, yet he keeps serving non-Muslims, sinners (fasiqs), sadhus (Hindu ascetics) and religious people with borrowed money, while he does not even mention repaying his debts. His addiction to smoking the hookah is so strong that a foul smell comes from his mouth. Citing some task or other, he puts forward false excuses and evades. What is the Shar‘i liability (daman) concerning such a person?

Answer

A debt is among the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad). A funeral was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the prayer. He asked whether the deceased had left any debt. He was told: yes. Then he asked whether he had also left something to pay it off. It became known that he had not, and so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ refused to lead his funeral prayer (janaza).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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