Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: There are various ways to show leniency to the destitute, such as completely waiving the amount for him, forgiving a portion of the debt, granting him a respite to repay the loan with ease and convenience, or accepting the amount in installments.

Hadith Commentary:
For the explanation of this hadith, refer to the benefits of hadith: 3451.

Hadith Commentary:
Granting respite to the one in financial difficulty and not being harsh with him is beloved to Allah, but such people should also not take undue advantage so that the wealth of the affluent is lost.
In another narration, it is mentioned that if the debtor sincerely intends in his heart to repay the debt, then Allah, the Most Pure, will surely enable his debt to be paid.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
It is stated in the Noble Qur’an:
( وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ ۚ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ )
If the debtor is in difficulty, then grant him respite until ease; and if you remit it as charity, that is better for you.
(al-Baqarah 2:280)
Therefore, one should show kindness to the poor and destitute person, for which there are two ways:
٭ Grant him additional time until his circumstances improve.
٭ Completely forgive the debt.

(2)
According to the narration of Sahih Muslim, great virtue has been mentioned for such a person.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever grants respite to a person in difficulty or forgives him, Allah will grant him a place under the shade of His Throne on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Zuhd, Hadith: 7512(3006))
In another hadith it is stated:
“Whoever wishes to be saved from the anxieties of the Day of Resurrection should grant respite to a debtor in difficulty or forgive his debt.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Musaqat, Hadith: 4000(1563))

(1) Whoever deals kindly and with compassion and gentleness towards the servants of Allah, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will also deal with him in the same manner, and will reward him in the form of Paradise.

(2) This blessed hadith also indicates the important issue that the previous divine laws (shari‘ah) are also obligatory for us to act upon and obey, just like our own shari‘ah, except if the Qur’an and hadith abrogate them. Although there is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding this issue, the correct view among the scholars is this one. This is the position of Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and Imam Nasa’i rahimahumullah and others.

(3) From this blessed hadith, not only is the virtue of granting respite to a person in financial difficulty established, but also the virtue of forgiving all or part of the debt owed by a destitute and bankrupt person is established. ﴿وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ﴾ (Al-Mutaffifin: 83:26)

(4) Even a small good deed done purely for the pleasure of Allah Ta‘ala can become a cause for the erasure of many sins.

(5) It is permissible to appoint a slave as an agent (wakil) and to grant him authority to conduct transactions.

(6) This blessed hadith also teaches us that if a person does not perform a good deed himself but has someone else do it, then both the one who does the deed and the one who causes it to be done will receive the full reward.

(7) The pure shari‘ah has given these instructions so that the person who acts upon them attains countless benefits. It is absolutely clear that good character is a great virtue, and it is also a fact that the business of a trader with good character is greatly blessed.