His mother gave him a monetary aid but he intended it to be a loan

Q: My mother (may Allah be merciful to her) gave me a sum of money estimated at five thousand Riyals as a form of aid for me. I told her that I would return that sum if my financial conditions improved and she agreed. However, she died before I could return that money to her. Is that money, which I took from her, considered a debt that I should pay back or a gift from her, or should I donate it? (Part No. 11; Page No. 134

A: This sum of money should be paid back to the heirs because your mother died before you could pay it to her. Hence, it was still hers before her death and now it belongs to the heirs after her death.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.