Insolvency and Respite - Section 1

Jabir said the Prophet (ﷺ) owed him a debt and gave him something extra when he paid it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: كَانَ لِي عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَيْنٌ فَقَضَانِي وَزَادَنِي. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

‘Abdallah b. Abu Rabi'a said the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed forty thousand* from him, and when revenue came in he paid it to him saying, “God most high bless your family and your property! The only reward for a loan is commendation and repayment.” *The text mentions the number. It probably means dirhams. Nasa’i transmitted it.

وَعَن عبد الله بن أبي ربيعَة قَالَ: اسْتَقْرَضَ مِنِّي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا فَجَاءَهُ مَالٌ فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَيَّ وَقَالَ: «بَارَكَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي أَهْلِكَ وَمَالِكَ إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ السَّلَفِ الْحَمْدُ وَالْأَدَاءُ» . رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ

'Imran b. Husain reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When anyone has something due to him from another he will be credited with sadaqa for every day he allows the other to postpone payment.” Ahmad transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ حَقٌّ فَمَنْ أَخَّرَهُ كَانَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ صَدَقَةٌ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد

Sa'd b. al-Atwal said:

My brother died leaving three hundred dinars and some young children, and I wanted to use them for their maintenance, but God’s Messenger said to me, “Your brother is im-prisoned by his debt, so pay it on his behalf.” I went and did so, and returned to tell God’s Messenger that I had done it and that there remained only a woman who claimed two dinars but had no proof she could show. He replied, “Give them to her, for she is speaking the truth.” Ahmad transmitted it.

وَعَن سعد بن الأطول قَالَ: مَاتَ أَخِي وَتَرَكَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ وَتَرَكَ وَلَدًا صِغَارًا فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِن أخلك مَحْبُوسٌ بِدَيْنِهِ فَاقْضِ عَنْهُ» . قَالَ: فَذَهَبْتُ فَقَضَيْتُ عَنهُ وَلم تبْق إِلَّا امْرَأَةٌ تَدَّعِي دِينَارَيْنِ وَلَيْسَتْ لَهَا بَيِّنَةٌ قَالَ: «أعْطهَا فَإِنَّهَا صَدَقَة» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد

Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah b. Jahsh said:

When we were sitting in the courtyard of the mosque where the biers were laid down and God’s Messenger was sitting in the midst of us, he raised his eyes to the sky and looked, then lowering his eyes and putting his hand on his forehead he said, “Glory be to God, Glory be to God! What severity has come down!” We said nothing all day and night and experienced nothing but good till the morning. Then I asked God’s Messenger what the severity was which had come down, and he replied, “It has to do with debts. By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, if a man were to be killed in God’s path then come to life, be killed again in God’s path then come to life, and be killed once more in God’s path then come to life owing a debt, he would not enter paradise till his debt was paid.” Ahmad transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

وَعَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جَحْشٍ قَالَ: كُنَّا جُلُوسًا بِفِنَاءِ الْمَسْجِدِ حَيْثُ يُوضَعُ الْجَنَائِز وَرَسُول الله جَالِسٌ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَيْنَا فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَصَره قبل السَّمَاء فَنظر ثُمَّ طَأْطَأَ بَصَرَهُ وَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ قَالَ: «سُبْحَانَ الله سُبْحَانَ الله مَا نَزَلَ مِنَ التَّشْدِيدِ؟» قَالَ: فَسَكَتْنَا يَوْمَنَا وَلَيْلَتَنَا فَلَمْ نَرَ إِلَّا خَيْرًا حَتَّى أَصْبَحْنَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَا التَّشْدِيدُ الَّذِي نَزَلَ؟ قَالَ: «فِي الدَّيْنِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ عَاشَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ عَاشَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ عَاشَ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ مَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يُقْضَى دَيْنُهُ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَفِي شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِ نَحْوَهُ