The apparent view of the jurists is that borrowing is unrestrictedly permissible. However, it should be said that it is permissible for one who has the means to repay. As for one who does not have the means to repay, then at the very least it is disliked for him. This is why the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not direct the man who wished to marry and said, “I have nothing,” to take out a loan; rather, he married him to her in return for what he possessed of the Quran (1).

This indicates that, so long as a person has an alternative to borrowing, he should not borrow. This is part of sound upbringing, for if a person habituates himself to borrowing, borrowing becomes easy for him, until the wealth of people in their possession comes to seem as though it were his own wealth, and he does not mind borrowing it. Therefore, one should borrow only for a matter that is unavoidable—provided that he has the means to repay. But if he does not have the means to repay, then at the very least it is disliked, and perhaps we would say that it is prohibited. In that case, he must make his circumstances clear to the lender, so that the lender may proceed with full knowledge.

But if someone were to ask: Is it recommended for the guardian responsible for an orphan’s property to give a loan from it?

The answer is: No, because Allah says:

“And do not approach the property of the orphan except in the way that is best.” [Al-An‘am 6:158]

However, if lending it were in the orphan’s interest