Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
- If you were forced to take a student loan to complete your studies, you are excused as long as you try your best to pray them as early as you can.
- You have to pay it back, then you can look forward to the forgiveness of Allah.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
As for the student loans you were forced to take to complete your studies, you are excused as long as you try your best to pray them as early as you can.
If, on the other hand, you took them without any real need for it but leading a lavish life, then you ought to seek sincere repentance and pay them off without any delay.
That should be your utmost priority. So, I would urge you to do that, and only then you can look forward to the forgiveness of Allah.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Source: www.askthescholar.com