the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “[Some] angels met the rūh (soul) of a man before you and asked: Did you do anything good? He said: No. they said: Try to recall. He said: I used to lend to people and order my servants to give respite to one in straitened circumstances and give allowance to the solvent, for Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said (to the angels): You should ignore (his failing).”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «تَلَقَّتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ رُوحَ رَجُلٍ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ فَقَالُوا: أَعَمِلْتَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ شَيْئًا؟ قَالَ: لاَ. قَالُوا: تَذَكَّرْ! قَالَ: كُنْتُ أُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ فَآمُرُ فِتْيَانِي أَنْ يُنْظِرُوا الْمُعْسِرَ وَيَتَجَوَّزُوا عَنِ الْمُوسِرِ. قَالَ: قَالَ: اللَّهُ ﷻ تَجَوَّزُوا عَنْهُ.»  

A person met his Lord (after death) and He said: What (good) did you do? He said: I did no good except this that I was a rich man, and I demanded from the people (the repayment of debt that I advanced to them). I, however, accepted that which the solvent gave and remitted (the debt) of the insolvent, whereupon He (the Lord) said: You should ignore (the faults) of My servant. Abu Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) said: This is what I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying.  

حُذَيْفَةُ رَجُلٌ لَقِيَ رَبَّهُ فَقَالَ مَا عَمِلْتَ قَالَ مَا عَمِلْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ إِلاَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ رَجُلاً ذَا مَالٍ فَكُنْتُ أُطَالِبُ بِهِ النَّاسَ فَكُنْتُ أَقْبَلُ الْمَيْسُورَ وَأَتَجَاوَزُ عَنِ الْمَعْسُورِ فَقَالَ تَجَاوَزُوا عَنْ عَبْدِي قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ  

A person died and he entered Paradise. It was said to him What (act) did you do? (Either he recalled it himself or he was made to recall), he said I used to enter into transactions with people and I gave respite to the insolvent and did not show any strictness in case of accepting a coin or demanding cash payment. (For these acts of his) he was granted pardon. Abu Mas'ud said: I heard this from Messenger of Allah ﷺ.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ رَجُلاً مَاتَ فَدَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْمَلُ قَالَ فَإِمَّا ذَكَرَ وَإِمَّا ذُكِّرَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُبَايِعُ النَّاسَ فَكُنْتُ أُنْظِرُ الْمُعْسِرَ وَأَتَجَوَّزُ فِي السِّكَّةِ أَوْ فِي النَّقْدِ فَغُفِرَ لَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ وَأَنَا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

A servant from amongst the servants of Allah was brought to Him whom Allah had endowed with riches. He (Allah) said to him: What (did you do) in the world? (They cannot conceal anything from Allah) He (the person) said: O my Lord, You endowed me with Your riches. I used to enter into transactions with people. It was my nature to be lenient to (my debtors). I showed leniency to the solvent and gave respite to the insolvent, whereupon Allah said: I have more right than you to do this to connive at My servant. 'Uqba b. 'Amir al-Juhani and Abu Mas'ud said: This is what we heard from Messenger of Allah ﷺ.  

أُتِيَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَقَالَ لَهُ مَاذَا عَمِلْتَ فِي الدُّنْيَا قَالَ وَلاَ يَكْتُمُونَ اللَّهَ حَدِيثًا قَالَ يَا رَبِّ آتَيْتَنِي مَالَكَ فَكُنْتُ أُبَايِعُ النَّاسَ وَكَانَ مِنْ خُلُقِي الْجَوَازُ فَكُنْتُ أَتَيَسَّرُ عَلَى الْمُوسِرِ وَأُنْظِرُ الْمُعْسِرَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِذَا مِنْكَ تَجَاوَزُوا عَنْ عَبْدِي فَقَالَ عُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيُّ وَأَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ هَكَذَا سَمِعْنَاهُ مِنْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

A person from people who lived before you was called to account (by Allah at the Day of Judgment) and no good was found in his account except this that lie being a rich man had (financial) dealings with people and had commanded his servants to show leniency to the straitened ones. Upon this Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said: We have more right to this, so overlook (his faults).  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حُوسِبَ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ فَلَمْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَكَانَ مُوسِرًا فَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ غِلْمَانَهُ أَنْ يَتَجَاوَزُوا عَنِ الْمُعْسِرِ قَالَ قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ نَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُ تَجَاوَزُوا عَنْهُ  

There was a person who gave loans to the people and said to his men: When an insolvent comes to you show him leniency that Allah may overlook our (faults). So when he met Allah, He overlooked his faults (forgave him).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ لِفَتَاهُ إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مُعْسِرًا فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْهُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنَّا فَلَقِيَ اللَّهَ فَتَجَاوَزَ عَنْهُ  

A hadith like this is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him).  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ بِمِثْلِهِ  

I am hard up financially, whereupon he said: (Do you state it) by God? He said: By God. Upon this he (Qatada) said: I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: He who loves that Allah saves him from the torments of the Day of Resurrection should give respite to the insolvent or remit (his debt).  

أَنَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ طَلَبَ غَرِيمًا لَهُ فَتَوَارَى عَنْهُ ثُمَّ وَجَدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي مُعْسِرٌ فَقَالَ آللَّهِ قَالَ آللَّهِ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُنْجِيَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلْيُنَفِّسْ عَنْ مُعْسِرٍ أَوْ يَضَعْ عَنْهُ  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ayyob with the same chain of transmitters.  

عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ