53. Peacemaking
٥٣۔ كتاب الصلح
Showing kindness to a debtor
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard the voices of disputants at the door, their voices raised. One of them was asking the other to reduce the amount and to be lenient with him regarding something, while he was saying, “By Allah, I will not do it.” So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to them and said: “Where is the one swearing by Allah that he will not do good?” He said, “I am, O Messenger of Allah; he may have whichever of that he likes.”
سَمِعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَوْتَ خُصُومٍ بِالْبَابِ، عَالِيَةٍ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا، وَإِذَا أَحَدُهُمَا يَسْتَوْضِعُ الآخَرَ وَيَسْتَرْفِقُهُ فِي شَىْءٍ، وَهْوَ يَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَفْعَلُ، فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «أَيْنَ الْمُتَأَلِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ لاَ يَفْعَلُ الْمَعْرُوفَ؟» فَقَالَ: أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَلَهُ أَىُّ ذَلِكَ أَحَبَّ.
ʿAbdullah bin Abu Hadrad Al-Aslami owed Kaʿb bin Malik some money. One day the latter met the former and demanded his right, and their voices grew very loud. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them and said, "O Kaʿb," beckoning with his hand as if intending to say, "Deduct half the debts." So, Kaʿb took half what the other owed him and remitted the other half.
أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ مَالٌ فَلَقِيَهُ فَلَزِمَهُ حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا فَمَرَّ بِهِمَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا كَعْبُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ النِّصْفَ فَأَخَذَ نِصْفَ مَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَرَكَ نِصْفًا