22. The Book of Musaqah
٢٢۔ كتاب المساقاة
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.
In the mosque l asked Ibn Abi Hadrad to pay the debts which he owed to me and our voices grew louder. Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard that while he was in his house. So he came to us raising the curtain of his room and said, "O Kaʿb!" I replied, "Labaik, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" He said, "O Kaʿb! reduce your debt to one half," gesturing with his hand. I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I have done so." Then Allah's Apostle said (to Ibn Abi Hadrad), "Get up and pay the debt to him."
أَنَّهُ تَقَاضَى ابْنَ أَبِي حَدْرَدٍ دَيْنًا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا حَتَّى سَمِعَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهْوَ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمَا حَتَّى كَشَفَ سِجْفَ حُجْرَتِهِ فَنَادَى يَا كَعْبُ قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ضَعْ مِنْ دَيْنِكَ هَذَا وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ أَىِ الشَّطْرَ قَالَ لَقَدْ فَعَلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ قُمْ فَاقْضِهِ