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The question

Is it permissible for the creditor to oblige the debtor to change the terms of the debt from unspecified duration or written form to a specified duration and written form after several years, contrary to what was previously agreed upon?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Scholars have differed on the issue of postponing loan repayment, holding two opinions:

The first opinion (the majority of jurists): It is not permissible to postpone a loan, and the lender may reclaim it at any time, as deadlines in loans are invalid.

The second opinion (Malikis, Zahiris, and the choice of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Uthaymeen): Postponement is valid if stipulated as a condition. If a term is stipulated in the loan, the borrower is not obligated to repay the money before the specified term expires. They cited the verse: "O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down," and the : "Muslims are bound by their conditions."

Accordingly, if the debt is not specified by a term, the lender may demand it immediately or set a term for it. If the term expires and the borrower is able to repay, repayment becomes obligatory, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Procrastination by a rich person is injustice." If the borrower is in financial difficulty, he must be granted a respite until he finds ease, based on Allah's (the Most High) saying: "And if there is one in [financial] difficulty, then [give him] time until a time of ease."

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Where this answer came from
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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
29560
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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