What is the meaning of a loan for use (al-ʻāriyah), and what are its rulings?

A loan ( ariya ) is the permissibility of benefiting from a permissible object that remains after its usufruct has been utilized. Its legitimacy is established by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. For a loan to be valid, the lender and borrower must be competent, the usufruct of the object must be permissible, and it must be possible to benefit from it while it remains intact.

The lender may reclaim the loaned object whenever he wishes, unless this causes harm to the borrower. The borrower must preserve the loaned object, return it safely, and use it for the purpose for which it was borrowed. Otherwise, he is liable for it if it perishes due to his transgression or violation. If the object perishes while being used appropriately, the borrower is not liable.