What should my colleague do, who borrowed a credit balance of three pounds from a mobile company, then the line was disconnected before the amount was repaid? Should she give it as charity? What is the ruling on intentionally borrowing credit from mobile companies without the intention of repayment and then damaging the line to avoid paying, and is that considered forbidden?
If the company enables the colleague to benefit from the service, then the amount must be paid to the company. And if the company disconnects the line after the service has been rendered, then the colleague must strive to find a way to pay. If unable, then they should give the amount in charity on behalf of the company's owners. As for utilizing the service and then destroying the line to escape payment, this is not permissible and constitutes consuming ill-gotten wealth, as Allah Almighty says: "And do not consume your properties among yourselves through falsehood" (Al-Baqarah: 188). This includes every unlawful taking of wealth.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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