The Chapters on Charity

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whoever is easy with (a debtor) who is in difficulty, Allah will be easy with him in this world and in the Hereafter.”

It was narrated from Buraidah Al-Aslami that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever gives respite to one in difficulty, he will have (the reward of) an act of charity for each day. Whoever gives him respite after payment becomes due, will have (the reward of) an act of charity equal to (the amount of the loan) for each day.”

It was narrated from Abu Yasar, the Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) that : the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever would like Allah to shade him with His shade, let him give respite to one in difficulty, or waive repayment of the loan.”

It was narrated from Hudhaifah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A man died and it was said to him: 'What did you do?' Either he remembered or was reminded and said: 'I used to be easy going in coins and cash collecting debts due, and I used to give respite to (the debtor) who was in difficulty. So, Allah (SWT) forgave him.' ” Abu Masud said: “I heard that from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).”

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever demands his rights let him do so in a decent manner as much as he can.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the one who was entitled to something: “Take your rights in a decent manner as much as he can.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The best of you - or among the best of you - are those who pay off their debts in the best manner.”

Isma'il bin Abi Rabi'ah Al-Makhzumi narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that : the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed thirty or forty thousand from him, when he fought at Hunain. When he came back he paid the loan, then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: 'May Allah (SWT) bless your family and your wealth for you. The reward for lending is repayment and words of paradise.”

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: “A man came to ask the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) for some debt or some right, and he spoke harshly to him, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wanted to rebuke him. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Let him be, for the one who is owed something has authority over the debtor, until it is paid off.' ”

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri said: “A Bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) to ask him to pay back a debt that he owed him, and he spoke harshly, saying: 'I will make things difficult for you unless you repay me.' His Companions rebuked him and said: 'Woe to you, do you know who you are speaking to?' He said: 'I am only asking for my rights.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Why do you not support the one who has a right?' Then he sent word to Khawlah bint Qais, saying to her: 'If you have dates, lend them to us until our dates come, then we will pay you back.' She said: 'Yes, may my father be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)!' So she gave him a loan, and he paid back the Bedouin and fed him. He (the Bedouin) said: 'You have paid me in full, may Allah (SWT) pay you in full.' He (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) said: 'Those are the best of people. May that nation not be cleansed (of sin) among whom the weak cannot get their rights without trouble.' ”

It was narrated from 'Amr bin Sharid that his father said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If one who can afford it delays repayment, his honor and punishment become permissible.”

Hirmas bin Habib narrated from his father that his grandfather said: “I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) with a man who owed me money, and he said to me: 'Keep him.' Then he passed by me at the end of the day and said: 'What did your prisoner do, O brother of Banu Tamim?' ”

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik from his father that : he demanded payment owed by Ibn Abi Hadrad in the mosque. Their voices became so loud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard them when he was in his house. He came out and called Ka'b who said: “Here I am, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)!” He said: “Waive this much of your loan,” and gestured with his hand to indicate half. He said: “I will do that,” and he said: “Get up and repay it.”

It was narrated that Qais bin Rumi said: “Sulaiman bin Udhunan lent 'Alqamah one thousand Dirham until he got his salary, When he got his salary, he demanded that he pay him back and treated him harshly. He paid him back, and it was as if 'Alqamah was angry. Several months passed then he came to him and said: 'Lend me one thousand Dirham until my salary comes.' He said 'Yes, it would be an honor. O Umm 'Utbah! Bring me that sealed leather bag that you have.' He said: 'By Allah(SWT), these are your Dirham that you paid back to me; I did not touch a single Dirham., ' What made you do what you did to me (i.e., treat me so harshly)?' He said: 'What I heard from you.' He said: 'What did you hear from me?' He said: 'I heard you narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There is no Muslim who lends something to another Muslim twice, but it will be like giving charity once.”He said: 'That is what Ibn Mas'ud told me.' ”

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra), I saw written at the gate of Paradise: 'Charity brings a tenfold reward and a loan brings an eighteen fold reward.' I said: 'O Jibril! Why is a loan better than charity?' He said: 'Because the beggar asks when he has something, but the one who asks for loan does so only because he is in need.' ”

It was narrated that Yahya bin Abu Ishaq Al-Huna'i said: “I asked Anas bin Malik: 'What if a man gives his brother a loan, then (the borrower) give him a gift?’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If anyone of you borrow something then he gives (the lender) a gift or gives him a ride on his riding-beast, he should not accept the gift or the ride, unless they used to treat each other in that manner beforehand.'”

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Atwal that : his brother died, leaving behind three hundred Dirham and dependents. “I wanted to spend (his money) on his dependents, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Your brother is being detained by his debt, so pay it off for him.'” He said “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I have paid it off apart from two Dinar, which a woman is claiming but she has no proof.” He said: “Give them to her for she is telling the truth.”

It was narrated from Jabir bin 'Abdullah that : his father died owing thirty Wasq to a Jewish man. Jabir bin Abdullah asked him for respite but he refused. Jabir asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to intercede for him with him, so the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went and spoke to the Jew, asking him to accept dates in lieu of what was owed, but he refused. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) spoke to him but he refused to give respite. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went in among the date-palm trees and walked among them. Then he said to Jabir: “Pick (dates) for him and pay off what is owed to him in full.” So he picked thirty Wasq of dates after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back, and there were twelve Wasq more (than what was owed). Jabir came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to tell him what had happened, and he found that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was absent. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back he came to him and told him that he had paid off the debt in full, and he told him about the extra dates. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Tell 'Umar bin Khattab about that.” So Jabir went to 'Umar said to him: “I knew when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked amongst them that Allah (SWT) would bless them for us.”

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Amr that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A debt will be settled on the Day of Resurrection if the one who owes it dies, apart from three: A man who lost his strength fighting in the cause of Allah (SWT), so he borrows in order to become strong again to fighting in the cause of Allah (SWT), so he borrows in order to become strong again to fight the enemy of Allah (SWT) and his enemy. A man who sees a Muslims die and he cannot find anything with which to shroud him except by taking a loan. A man who sees a Muslim die and he cannot find anything with which to shroud him except, by taking a loan. A man who fears Allah (SWT) if he stays single, so he gets married for fear of (losing) his religious commitment. Allah will pay off the debt for these people on the Day of Resurrection.”