What is the ruling on accepting a gift from someone before they pay off their debt to me?

It is permissible to accept a gift from a borrower if it was customary between them before the loan. Otherwise, it is not permissible to accept it, as it may be considered usury that brings benefit, or it may be intended to delay the repayment of the debt. The jurisprudential rule regarding loans is: "Every loan that brings a benefit is usury."

It has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions forbade accepting gifts from a borrower, as he (peace be upon him) said: "If one of you lends a loan, and the borrower gives him a gift or offers him a ride on an animal, he should not ride it nor accept it, unless this custom existed between them before that."

To avoid usury, if one does not wish to return the gift, the lender can reciprocate the borrower with a similar or greater gift, or deduct the value of the gift from the debt owed by the borrower.

However, if the gift is given after the loan has been repaid, there is no objection to accepting it.