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Sahih MuslimThe Book of Musaqah

Whoever is pleased to be saved by Allah from the agonies of the Day of Judgment, let him give the insolvent respite or grant him remission

Chapter: The virute of giving more time to one who is suffering difficulty, and letting those go who are suffering difficulty and those who are well off

Authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim 1563a

Narrator:Abu Qatāda

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْهَيْثَمِ، خَالِدُ بْنُ خِدَاشِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ، طَلَبَ غَرِيمًا لَهُ فَتَوَارَى عَنْهُ ثُمَّ وَجَدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي مُعْسِرٌ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ آللَّهِ قَالَ آللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏

مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُنْجِيَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلْيُنَفِّسْ عَنْ مُعْسِرٍ أَوْ يَضَعْ عَنْهُ ‏"

Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he went looking for his debtor, who hid from him. Then, on finding him, he said: I am insolvent. He said: By Allah? He said: By Allah! He said: Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say:

"Whoever is pleased to be saved by Allah from the agonies of the Day of Judgment, let him give the insolvent respite or grant him remission."

Reported by Muslim (No. 1563a, 1563b).

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Explanation

Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) was searching for his debtor, who was hiding from him. When he found him, the debtor said: I am insolvent, and I have no money to repay your debt.

Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to swear by Allah that he had no money,

and the man swore by Allah that he was telling the truth.

Thereupon, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say:

Whoever is pleased and delighted to be saved by Allah from the agonies, tribulations, and horrors of the Day of Judgment, let him give an insolvent person respite by postponing or delaying the demand of payment or by reducing the debt or canceling it.

Lessons

  • It is recommended to give the insolvent respite until it is easy for him to repay the debt or grant him full or partial remission.
  • Whoever relieves a believer of a distress of this life, Allah will relieve him of a distress on the Day of Judgment, as indeed, one reaps what he sows.
  • Rule: Obligatory acts are better than supererogatory ones. However, sometimes the supererogatory is better than the obligatory. Granting the insolvent remission is a supererogatory act, whereas granting him respite and waiting without demanding repayment is obligatory. Here, in this case, the supererogatory act is better than the obligatory act.
  • The Hadīth is about the insolvent, who has a valid excuse, but as for the procrastinating debtor who has money, it was reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Procrastination in payment of a debt by a rich person is injustice."

Explanation in Arabic

كان أبو قتادة الأنصاري رضي الله عنه يبحث عن مَدِيْنٍ له يَخْتَبِئ عنه، فوجده، فقال الغَريم: إني مُعسر، وليس عندي مال لأقضي دينك.

فاستحلفه أبو قتادة رضي الله عنه بالله أنه لا مال عنده؟

فحلف بالله أنه صادق فيما يقول.

فقال أبو قتادة رضي الله عنه إنه سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول:

مَن سرّه وأفرحه أن ينجيَه الله من كُرب يوم القيامة وشدائدها وأهوالها، فلينفِّس عن معسر، بأن يَمُدَّ ويؤخّر المطالبة بالدَّيْن، أو يُسقط بعض الدين أو كله.

  • استحباب إنظار المُعْسر إلى مَيْسرة، أو وضع الدَّين عنه، كله أو بعضه.
  • من نَفَّس عن مؤمن من كُرب الدنيا نَفَّس الله عليه من كُرَب يوم القيامة، والجزاء من جِنس العمل.
  • القاعدة: أن الفرائض أفضل من النوافل، لكن في بعض الأحيان تكون النافلة أفضل من الفريضة، وإسقاط الدين عن المعسر نافلة، والصبر عليه والانتظار وعدم المطالبة هذا فريضة، والنافلة أفضل من الفريضة هنا.
  • الحديث في حق من كان معسرًا، فهذا معذور، أما المُماطِل الذي عنده مال، فقد جاء عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: "مَطْلُ الغني ظُلْم".

Classical commentary

An-Nawawi — Sharh Sahih Muslim

قَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ( مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُنْجِيه اللَّه مِنْ كَرْب يَوْم الْقِيَامَة فَلْيُنَفِّسْ عَنْ مُعْسِر ) ( كُرَب ) بِضَمِّ الْكَاف وَفَتْح الرَّاء جَمْع كُرْبَة , وَمَعْنَى ( يُنَفِّس ) أَيْ يَمُدّ وَيُؤَخِّر الْمُطَالَبَة , وَقِيلَ : مَعْنَاهُ يُفَرِّج عَنْهُ. وَاَللَّه أَعْلَم.…

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Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Muslimd. 261 AH Authenticصحيح The hadith صحيح مسلم No. 1563

Other versions

Authentic Mishkat al-Masabih 2902

Abu Qatada reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone would like God to save him from the anxieties of the day of resurrection, he should grant a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances, or remit his debt.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُنْجِيَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلْيُنَفِّسْ عَنْ مُعْسِرٍ أَوْ يَضَعْ عَنْهُ» . رَوَاهُ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Also reported by… (1)
  • معرفة السنن والآثار للبيهقي (3108)مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُنَجِّيَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلْيُنَفِّسْ عَنْ مُعْسِرٍ أَوْ يَضَعْ عَنْهُ

On the same subject

Not graded Al-Adab al-Mufrad 187

'Ubada ibn al-Walid said, "My father and I went out to seek knowledge from the Ansar in this area before they died. The first one we met was Abu'l-Yasar, the Companion of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who had one of his slaves with him. Abu'l-Yasar was wearing one striped…

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ مُجَاهِدِ أَبِي حَزْرَةَ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ قَالَ‏:‏ خَرَجْتُ أَنَا…

+ 1 other version

Not graded Bulugh al-Maram 825

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever accepts back what he sold to a Muslim, Allah will forgive his fault." [Reported by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ مَنْ أَقَالَ مُسْلِماً بَيْعَتَهُ, أَقَالَهُ اَللَّهُ عَثْرَتَهُ } رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ, وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ, وَصَحَّحَهُ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 3 other versions

Not graded Mishkat al-Masabih 2927

'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

Narrated by Imrān ibn Husayn + 1 other version

Authentic Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1306

Whoever gives respite to an insolvent person or remits part of his debt, Allah will shade him on the Day of Judgment in the shade of His Throne, on a day when there will be no shade but His shade

"Whoever gives respite to an insolvent person or remits part of his debt, Allah will shade him on the Day of Judgment in the shade of His Throne, on a day when there will be no shade but His shade."

"‏ مَنْ أَنْظَرَ مُعْسِرًا أَوْ وَضَعَ لَهُ أَظَلَّهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ عَرْشِهِ يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 2 other versions Explained

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 2418

“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.”

"‏ مَنْ أَنْظَرَ مُعْسِرًا كَانَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَمَنْ أَنْظَرَهُ بَعْدَ حِلِّهِ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ صَدَقَةٌ ‏"

Narrated by Buraydah + 3 other versions

Authentic Mishkat al-Masabih 2904

Abul Yasar told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “He who grants a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances or remits his debt will be taken by God under His protection.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي الْيَسَرِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ أَنْظَرَ مُعْسِرًا أَوْ وَضَعَ عَنْهُ أَظَلَّهُ اللَّهُ فِي ظِلِّهِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Narrated by Abu al-Yasar + 1 other version

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