What should I do about a debt that I was unable to return to its owner, whose whereabouts I do not know, and who may have passed away?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If you are unable to deliver the rent to its owner or her heirs, you may donate it on her behalf. If the owner or her heirs appear later, and they approve of the charity, then its reward will be yours. Otherwise, you must pay them the rent. It is permissible to donate trusts and funds whose owners are unknown, provided that their value is guaranteed to the owner, as this benefits both the giver and the recipient.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/64675
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 64675
- 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.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy