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 al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 283) ➊ {وَ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ وَّ لَمْ تَجِدُوْا كَاتِبًا …: } This is another form of sale and loan, that is, if you engage in a loan transaction while on a journey and cannot find a scribe, or writing materials like pen and ink are not available, then the debtor should leave something as collateral (pledge) with the lender. The mention of travel is because this situation mostly arises during travel; otherwise, pledging collateral is also permissible while at home. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself practically clarified this by pledging his armor to a Jew. [بخاری، البیوع، باب شراء الإمام الحوائج بنفسہ : ۲۰۹۶۔ مسلم : ۱۶۰۳ ] Thus, pledging collateral during travel is established by the explicit text of the Qur’an, and at home by the action of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). (Shawkani)
➋ If the item pledged is a milk-giving animal, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) permitted drinking its milk in exchange for feeding it; similarly, he permitted riding a horse, camel, donkey, or mule in exchange for feeding them. [بخاری، فی الرھن فی الحضر، باب الرھن مرکوب : ۲۵۱۱ عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] Apart from these, it is forbidden to benefit from a pledged item; this falls under the category of usury. For example, if land is pledged as collateral for a loan, the one holding the pledge cannot benefit from it; rather, if he cultivates it, the rent, etc., must be deducted from the loan.
➌ {فَلْيُؤَدِّ الَّذِي اؤْتُمِنَ اَمَانَتَهٗ :} This means that if someone trusts the borrower and gives him a loan without taking any collateral, then he should also, fearing Allah, repay the loan.
➍ {فَاِنَّهٗۤ اٰثِمٌ قَلْبُهٗ :} In this, the attribution of {’’ اٰثِمٌ ‘‘ } (sin) is to the heart, because concealing is an act of the heart and the thought first arises in the heart. This is a warning that concealing testimony is such a grave sin that it makes the heart sinful. [نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنْ ذٰلِکَ ]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ اَكْبَرُ الْكَبَائِرِ، اَلْاِشْرَاكُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ وَ عُقُوْقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَ قَوْلُ الزُّوْرِ أَوْ قَالَ وَ شَهَادَةُ الزُّوْرِ ] “Among the greatest of the major sins are associating partners with Allah, killing a person, disobedience to parents, and false speech—or he said, false testimony.” [بخاری، الدیات، باب : «و من أحیاھا » : ۶۸۷۱، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “Concealing testimony is also among the gravest of the major sins.” (Tabari)
➋ If the item pledged is a milk-giving animal, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) permitted drinking its milk in exchange for feeding it; similarly, he permitted riding a horse, camel, donkey, or mule in exchange for feeding them. [بخاری، فی الرھن فی الحضر، باب الرھن مرکوب : ۲۵۱۱ عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] Apart from these, it is forbidden to benefit from a pledged item; this falls under the category of usury. For example, if land is pledged as collateral for a loan, the one holding the pledge cannot benefit from it; rather, if he cultivates it, the rent, etc., must be deducted from the loan.
➌ {فَلْيُؤَدِّ الَّذِي اؤْتُمِنَ اَمَانَتَهٗ :} This means that if someone trusts the borrower and gives him a loan without taking any collateral, then he should also, fearing Allah, repay the loan.
➍ {فَاِنَّهٗۤ اٰثِمٌ قَلْبُهٗ :} In this, the attribution of {’’ اٰثِمٌ ‘‘ } (sin) is to the heart, because concealing is an act of the heart and the thought first arises in the heart. This is a warning that concealing testimony is such a grave sin that it makes the heart sinful. [نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنْ ذٰلِکَ ]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ اَكْبَرُ الْكَبَائِرِ، اَلْاِشْرَاكُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ وَ عُقُوْقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَ قَوْلُ الزُّوْرِ أَوْ قَالَ وَ شَهَادَةُ الزُّوْرِ ] “Among the greatest of the major sins are associating partners with Allah, killing a person, disobedience to parents, and false speech—or he said, false testimony.” [بخاری، الدیات، باب : «و من أحیاھا » : ۶۸۷۱، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “Concealing testimony is also among the gravest of the major sins.” (Tabari)
