How to repay a debt

Question

I was asking here what can be done if I have a debt, and I do not know how to find the person I owe. Praise be to Allah, I was answered. They said that it was necessary to repent and, if possible, do charity work. But I have this question. My sister owes me money. If I forgive her part of the debt, will I also be able to close the other debt? Or not? And more. Here, as a thank you, is it possible to close the debt by donating online? That is, to throw money to a certain charitable foundation?

Answer 1

My sister owes me money. If I forgive her part of the debt, will I also be able to close the other debt? Or not?

No, since your sister is part of your immediate family, it might even be up to you to support her. Therefore, your debt to a stranger cannot be offset by forgiving your sister's debt.

And less specifically the majority view of Muslim scholars on lifting a debt from a debtor with the intention to do this as a zakat isn't allowed and their major evidences are:

• For giving sadaqah it is necessary to take from a person and give another, and by forgiving there's no giving and taking, while Allah says:

Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [ Allah 's blessings] upon them. ... (9:103)

• While Sadqah/Zakat is a good deed, debts isn't and making good of something bad doesn't seem to be permissible sind Allah says:

... And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes. ... (2:267)

The opposite view on the other hand has a strong evidence especially for the case that the debtor is a real poor or needy person since:

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that in the time of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a man suffered a loss in fruits he had bought and his debt increased; so Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told (the people) to give him charity and they gave him charity, but that was not enough to pay the debt in full, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to his creditors:
" Take what you find, you will have nothing but alms. (Sahih Muslim, note that the linked version had some typos I have corrected here)

And Allah says:

And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease. But if you give [from your right as] charity, then it is better for you, if you only knew. (2:280)

And more. Here, as a thank you, is it possible to close the debt by donating online? That is, to throw money to a certain charitable foundation?

As mentioned in my comment above, if you don't know or can no longer find your creditor (and you've spent an acceptable effort to find him and had no hope of finding that person again), donating beside repentance (so both at once) is just one way to free yourself from a (potential) sin.
Note that the donation should cover the (full) amount of the debt!
We may find a hint for that in the sunnah:

It has been reported on the authority of 'Amr b. al-'As that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
All the sins of a Shahid (martyr) are forgiven except debt. (Sahih Muslim)

It does not relieve your debt. This means if one day you met your creditor and he didn't forgive his debt you must pay him back.

Having said that doing a donation is fine in any possible way. However, as Muslims, we must consider that our spending and donations go to specific target groups which are described in:

Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise. (9:60)

So if you have enough trust in the website or organisation you are donating that they will spend your donation in a permissible or trustworthy manner you can do it online.