Borrowing and Repaying Items Using a Specific Measuring Container

Abu Bakar Siddique
Question: Sometimes, women borrow items such as rice, oil and salt from others using containers of different sizes when they run out of these essentials. They later repay the borrowed items using the same measuring containers. What is the Islamic ruling on this practice?
Answer: When borrowing and returning items of the same kind, it is essential to ensure that the quantities are exactly equal. In this case, the measuring container serves much the same purpose as a weighing scale. Therefore, there should be no problem with such transactions, provided that the quantities remain equal. However, care must be taken to ensure that there is no increase or decrease when exchanging items of the same kind.
Answered by: Allama Mufti Ubaidur Rahman Khan Nadvi
Source: Jameul Fatawa, Encyclopaedia of Islamic Jurisprudence and Fatwas.