In Al-Quran, Allah (SWT) said, `And if the debtor is in difficulty, grant him time until it is easier for him to repay, but if you are able, write off the debt as an act of charity, it would be better off for you, if only you knew.’
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
ABDULLAH, a government employee, has recently found himself in dire financial straits because of family.
Two years ago, his father asked his help in buying a car by using Abdullah’s name to get a car loan.
Abdullah agreed because his father’s pay was not enough to get a car loan.
He said he had to make sure his father paid the monthly instalments.
But suddenly, he said he received a warning letter from the bank, saying that his car’s monthly instalments were overdue.
“When I asked my father about it, he just shrugged it off and said he would pay the instalment,” he said.
But since the loan was under his name, Abdullah had no other choice but to pay from his own pocket and even worse, use his savings.
“I could not do anything much. He is my father,” he said.
He said he also had to borrow from a close friend and promised him to pay back his debt this December’s bonus.
Fadhillah, a 24-year-old uniformed personnel, had the same problem with his brother.
He said his younger brother was not eligible to buy a car because of his small pay.
Fadhillah said that because he trusted his brother, he agreed to “buy” the car for his brother.
But after three years, Fadhillah said he and his brother quarrelled over the loan payments. There was even a time, his brother threw the car key’s at him during a row.
For three months, the younger brother did not pay the car’s monthly instalment and left Fadhillah to pay for it.
Fadhillah who is only earning just enough had to borrow some money from his older brother.
“Even a sibling also would do this and just imagine if it was a stranger,” he said. He warned people about agreeing to use their name for a loan, even if the other person involved is family. Bahrum Ali
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