QUESTION:

If someone owes me money and I say in my mind that I have forgiven the amount. Now the person pays me. What do I do?

ANSWER:

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

If you want you can give the money back to the person and tell him/her that you have waived the debt. This will be considered as an act of charity from yourself, for which you will be rewarded.

If you want you can keep the money as it is rightly yours. As for your thought to waive the person’s debt, this was a mere thought and not a promise, hence, it is not binding upon you.

And Allah, the Almighty, knows best

Mufti Sufyan