سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 283
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبًا فَرِهَـٰنٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا فَلْيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِى ٱؤْتُمِنَ أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ وَلْيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ ﴿283﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then let there be a pledge taken (mortgaging); then if one of you entrust the other, let the one who is entrusted discharge his trust (faithfully), and let him be afraid of Allâh, his Lord. And conceal not the evidence for he, who hides it, surely his heart is sinful. And Allâh is All-Knower of what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَإِن
wa-in
And if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
سَفَرٍۢ
safarin
a journey
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
تَجِدُوا۟
tajidū
you find
كَاتِبًۭا
kātiban
a scribe
فَرِهَـٰنٌۭ
farihānun
then pledge
مَّقْبُوضَةٌۭ ۖ
maqbūḍatun
in hand
فَإِنْ
fa-in
Then if
أَمِنَ
amina
entrusts
بَعْضُكُم
baʿḍukum
one of you
بَعْضًۭا
baʿḍan
(to) another
فَلْيُؤَدِّ
falyu-addi
then let discharge
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the one who
ٱؤْتُمِنَ
u'tumina
is entrusted
أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ
amānatahu
his trust
وَلْيَتَّقِ
walyattaqi
And let him fear
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
رَبَّهُۥ ۗ
rabbahu
his Lord
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَكْتُمُوا۟
taktumū
conceal
ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ
l-shahādata
the evidence
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَكْتُمْهَا
yaktum'hā
conceals it
فَإِنَّهُۥٓ
fa-innahu
then indeed he
ءَاثِمٌۭ
āthimun
(is) sinful
قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ
qalbuhu
his heart
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
بِمَا
bimā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
عَلِيمٌۭ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knower
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
283. 1. If there is a need to conduct a loan transaction during travel and a writer or paper and pencil are not available, then an alternative method is being explained: the borrower should leave something as collateral with the lender. From this, the legitimacy and permissibility of collateral is established. The Prophet ﷺ also left his armor as collateral with a Jew. If the collateral is something from which benefit is derived, then the owner will be entitled to that benefit, and if there are expenses incurred on the collateral, then the one holding it can recover his expenses from it, but the remaining benefit must be given to the owner.
283. 2. That is, if there is mutual trust, you can also conduct a credit transaction without collateral. Here, the trust (amanah) refers to the loan. He should repay it in the correct manner, fearing Allah.
283. 3. Concealing testimony is a major sin, therefore a severe warning (punishment) has been mentioned here in the Quran and in the hadiths. That is why giving testimony is also of great virtue. In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The best witness is the one who presents himself to give testimony before being asked for it." الا اخبرکم بخیر الشھداء ؟ الذی یاتی بشھادتہ قبل ان یسئالھا (Sahih Muslim, Book of Judgments, Chapter: Explanation of the Best Witnesses). In another narration, the worst witness has also been identified: " الا اخبرکم بشر الشھداء ؟ الذین عشھون قبل ان یستشھدوا " (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Softening the Hearts; Muslim, Book of Virtues of the Companions). "Shall I not tell you who the worst witnesses are? They are those who give testimony before being asked for it." The meaning is that they commit a major sin by giving false testimony. Also, in the verse, the heart is specifically mentioned because concealing is an act of the heart. Moreover, the heart is the leader of all the limbs, and it is such a piece of flesh that if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. " الا وان فی الجسد مضغۃ اذا صلحت صلح الجسد کلہ، واذا فسدت فسد الجسد کلہ، الا ! وھی القلب " (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter: The Virtue of One Who Guards His Religion).
283. 2. That is, if there is mutual trust, you can also conduct a credit transaction without collateral. Here, the trust (amanah) refers to the loan. He should repay it in the correct manner, fearing Allah.
283. 3. Concealing testimony is a major sin, therefore a severe warning (punishment) has been mentioned here in the Quran and in the hadiths. That is why giving testimony is also of great virtue. In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The best witness is the one who presents himself to give testimony before being asked for it." الا اخبرکم بخیر الشھداء ؟ الذی یاتی بشھادتہ قبل ان یسئالھا (Sahih Muslim, Book of Judgments, Chapter: Explanation of the Best Witnesses). In another narration, the worst witness has also been identified: " الا اخبرکم بشر الشھداء ؟ الذین عشھون قبل ان یستشھدوا " (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Softening the Hearts; Muslim, Book of Virtues of the Companions). "Shall I not tell you who the worst witnesses are? They are those who give testimony before being asked for it." The meaning is that they commit a major sin by giving false testimony. Also, in the verse, the heart is specifically mentioned because concealing is an act of the heart. Moreover, the heart is the leader of all the limbs, and it is such a piece of flesh that if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. " الا وان فی الجسد مضغۃ اذا صلحت صلح الجسد کلہ، واذا فسدت فسد الجسد کلہ، الا ! وھی القلب " (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter: The Virtue of One Who Guards His Religion).
