Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2291
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "An Israeli man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.' "

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي جَعْفَرُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ رَجُلاً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ سَأَلَ بَعْضَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنْ يُسْلِفَهُ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، فَقَالَ ائْتِنِي بِالشُّهَدَاءِ أُشْهِدُهُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا‏.‏ قَالَ فَأْتِنِي بِالْكَفِيلِ‏.‏ قَالَ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ كَفِيلاً‏.‏ قَالَ صَدَقْتَ‏.‏ فَدَفَعَهَا إِلَيْهِ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَخَرَجَ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَقَضَى حَاجَتَهُ، ثُمَّ الْتَمَسَ مَرْكَبًا يَرْكَبُهَا، يَقْدَمُ عَلَيْهِ لِلأَجَلِ الَّذِي أَجَّلَهُ، فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَرْكَبًا، فَأَخَذَ خَشَبَةً، فَنَقَرَهَا فَأَدْخَلَ فِيهَا أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، وَصَحِيفَةً مِنْهُ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ، ثُمَّ زَجَّجَ مَوْضِعَهَا، ثُمَّ أَتَى بِهَا إِلَى الْبَحْرِ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ تَسَلَّفْتُ فُلاَنًا أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ، فَسَأَلَنِي كَفِيلاً، فَقُلْتُ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ كَفِيلاً، فَرَضِيَ بِكَ، وَسَأَلَنِي شَهِيدًا، فَقُلْتُ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا، فَرَضِيَ بِكَ، وَأَنِّي جَهَدْتُ أَنْ أَجِدَ مَرْكَبًا، أَبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِ الَّذِي لَهُ فَلَمْ أَقْدِرْ، وَإِنِّي أَسْتَوْدِعُكَهَا‏.‏ فَرَمَى بِهَا فِي الْبَحْرِ حَتَّى وَلَجَتْ فِيهِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، وَهْوَ فِي ذَلِكَ يَلْتَمِسُ مَرْكَبًا، يَخْرُجُ إِلَى بَلَدِهِ، فَخَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي كَانَ أَسْلَفَهُ، يَنْظُرُ لَعَلَّ مَرْكَبًا قَدْ جَاءَ بِمَالِهِ، فَإِذَا بِالْخَشَبَةِ الَّتِي فِيهَا الْمَالُ، فَأَخَذَهَا لأَهْلِهِ حَطَبًا، فَلَمَّا نَشَرَهَا وَجَدَ الْمَالَ وَالصَّحِيفَةَ، ثُمَّ قَدِمَ الَّذِي كَانَ أَسْلَفَهُ، فَأَتَى بِالأَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، فَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا زِلْتُ جَاهِدًا فِي طَلَبِ مَرْكَبٍ لآتِيَكَ بِمَالِكَ، فَمَا وَجَدْتُ مَرْكَبًا قَبْلَ الَّذِي أَتَيْتُ فِيهِ‏.‏ قَالَ هَلْ كُنْتَ بَعَثْتَ إِلَىَّ بِشَىْءٍ قَالَ أُخْبِرُكَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَجِدْ مَرْكَبًا قَبْلَ الَّذِي جِئْتُ فِيهِ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَدَّى عَنْكَ الَّذِي بَعَثْتَ فِي الْخَشَبَةِ فَانْصَرِفْ بِالأَلْفِ الدِّينَارِ رَاشِدًا ‏

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References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 39, Hadith 2
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 37, Hadith 488 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Whoever incurs a debt with the intention and resolve to repay it, and seeks the help of Allah, Exalted is He, in repaying it, He will bless him with the means to repay it, and satisfy his creditor on his behalf in the Hereafter if he was not able to repay it in this worldly life. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ related to us a wonderful story from which we can deduce great lessons. It is a story of two men from the Children of Israel, one of whom lent the other a thousand Dinars. The lender requested the borrower to bring witnesses testifying to the fact that he borrowed that money from him, but the borrower said: 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' When the lender requested a surety, to guarantee him and be legally responsible for repaying the debt if the borrower failed to repay it, the borrower replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The lender believed him and lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea to fulfil some of his needs. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might go back and reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood, made a hole in it, inserted one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender, and then sealed the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea, relying solely on Allah, Exalted is He, and trusting Him to deliver the money on his behalf. He implored Allah, Exalted is He, sincerely hoping that it would reach the creditor by His Power. The truthful man sincerely invoked Allah, Exalted is He, and He answered his invocation. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money. He waited for the borrower to come back and repay the debt as promised. Suddenly, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire, to keep his family warm and use it for cooking food. When he sawed it, he found his money and the message inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came back, apologizing for the delay and bringing one thousand Dinars to him. He explained to him the reason for the delayed repayment. The lender asked him: ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor (borrower) replied, ‘I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender asked him to go back and informed him that Allah, Exalted is He, delivered the money he had sent in the piece of wood on his behalf. He told him that the piece of wood found its way to him, and he asked him to keep the other one thousand Dinars that he had intended to pay. This indicates the trustworthiness of both the creditor and debtor, and that each of them was sincere and truthful and honored their commitment, after the creditor accepted Allah, Exalted is He, as a guarantor and witness. It also highlights that Allah, Exalted is He, rewards kind people who help those in need by preserving their wealth, in addition to the reward stored for them in the Hereafter, as He preserved the lender’s wealth by delivering it to him. These are great virtues granted to those who help those in need with their money (loans), place their trust in Allah, Exalted is He, and display keenness in returning the trusts. The hadeeth also urges debtors to keenly repay their debts and spare no effort to fulfill people’s financial rights over them. It also underlines the virtue of reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, and the abundant reward bestowed upon those who rely on Him as due..
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