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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
283. And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a pledge with possession [410] (may be taken). But if one of you entrusts another, then let the one who is entrusted fulfill his trust [411] and let him fear his Lord. And do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful [412]. And Allah is fully aware of whatever you do.
[410]
The Four Forms of Pledge (Rahn):
There are four possible forms of demanding a pledge: for example, whether one is traveling or at home and a scribe is not available—these are two cases. The other two are that whether in travel or at home, a scribe can be found, but the lender does not rely solely on the written document and, as a guarantee for the repayment of his loan, also demands a pledge. And that the pledge may be with or without a written document, i.e., only the pledge itself. As Hazrat Aisha ؓ narrates, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ bought grain on credit from a Jew (Abu Shahm) (thirty sa’ of barley for his household needs), and he left his armor as a pledge with him [بخاري۔ كتاب الرهن، باب فى الرهن فى الحضر] and this pledge was in residence (not travel) and without a written document. Thus, in all four cases, pledge is permissible, and the reason Allah Almighty mentioned only one of these cases is that Islam wants to teach its followers generosity, and it is beneath high morals that a person who possesses wealth would not give a loan to a needy person without taking something as a pledge.
Rulings Regarding Pledge:
1. The responsibility for the profit and loss of the pledged item remains with the pledger (the original owner), and the pledgee (the one with whom the pledge is kept) holds the item as a trust. For example, if Zaid kept a cow as a pledge with Bakr, and the cow died or was stolen, the loss would be Zaid’s, not Bakr’s. Similarly, if the cow gave birth, both the cow and the calf would belong to Zaid, not Bakr. Accordingly, it is narrated from Sa’id bin Al-Musayyib that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A pledge is not foreclosed from its owner. Its benefit is for him, and its loss is upon him.” [مشكوٰة۔ كتاب البيوع۔ باب المسلم والرهن۔ فصل ثاني]
2. Since the pledged item is with the pledgee as a trust, he cannot benefit from it. For example, if it is a house, he cannot live in it nor rent it out; if it is land, he cannot cultivate it, etc. Because this would be usury—unless he hands over such benefit to the pledger or deducts it from the principal amount of the loan.
3. However, for those items on which the pledgee has to incur some expenses, he is entitled to benefit from them. For example, if the pledged item is a cow, then in return for feeding it, he can use its milk. Hazrat Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The back of a pledged animal may be ridden in return for its expenses, and the milk of a pledged animal may be drunk in return for its expenses. And the one who rides or drinks is responsible for its expenses.” [بخاري: كتاب الرهن۔ باب الرهن مركوب و محلوب ]
[411] That is, the creditor’s loan or whatever he has taken.
[412]
The Heart Alone is the Source of Good and Evil:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, warning the noble companions ؓ, said: “Behold! There is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Behold! That piece is the (human) heart.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب فضل من استبرء لدينه]
And in another hadith it is stated: When a person commits a sinful act, a black dot appears on his heart. Then if he repents, that dot is washed away, but if he does not repent and continues to sin, that dot keeps increasing until it covers his entire heart and makes it black. [مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب رفع الامانة والايمان من بعض الذنوب۔۔۔] Thus, sins first affect the heart and corrupt the intention, then the sinful act is committed. Then a time comes when a person’s heart becomes completely black; at that time, the heart influences his thoughts and reflections, and whatever he thinks will be wrong and sinful. Allah Almighty has described such a state of the heart as “athima qalbahu” (his heart is sinful), and those who conceal testimony are such people.
[410]
The Four Forms of Pledge (Rahn):
There are four possible forms of demanding a pledge: for example, whether one is traveling or at home and a scribe is not available—these are two cases. The other two are that whether in travel or at home, a scribe can be found, but the lender does not rely solely on the written document and, as a guarantee for the repayment of his loan, also demands a pledge. And that the pledge may be with or without a written document, i.e., only the pledge itself. As Hazrat Aisha ؓ narrates, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ bought grain on credit from a Jew (Abu Shahm) (thirty sa’ of barley for his household needs), and he left his armor as a pledge with him [بخاري۔ كتاب الرهن، باب فى الرهن فى الحضر] and this pledge was in residence (not travel) and without a written document. Thus, in all four cases, pledge is permissible, and the reason Allah Almighty mentioned only one of these cases is that Islam wants to teach its followers generosity, and it is beneath high morals that a person who possesses wealth would not give a loan to a needy person without taking something as a pledge.
Rulings Regarding Pledge:
1. The responsibility for the profit and loss of the pledged item remains with the pledger (the original owner), and the pledgee (the one with whom the pledge is kept) holds the item as a trust. For example, if Zaid kept a cow as a pledge with Bakr, and the cow died or was stolen, the loss would be Zaid’s, not Bakr’s. Similarly, if the cow gave birth, both the cow and the calf would belong to Zaid, not Bakr. Accordingly, it is narrated from Sa’id bin Al-Musayyib that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A pledge is not foreclosed from its owner. Its benefit is for him, and its loss is upon him.” [مشكوٰة۔ كتاب البيوع۔ باب المسلم والرهن۔ فصل ثاني]
2. Since the pledged item is with the pledgee as a trust, he cannot benefit from it. For example, if it is a house, he cannot live in it nor rent it out; if it is land, he cannot cultivate it, etc. Because this would be usury—unless he hands over such benefit to the pledger or deducts it from the principal amount of the loan.
3. However, for those items on which the pledgee has to incur some expenses, he is entitled to benefit from them. For example, if the pledged item is a cow, then in return for feeding it, he can use its milk. Hazrat Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The back of a pledged animal may be ridden in return for its expenses, and the milk of a pledged animal may be drunk in return for its expenses. And the one who rides or drinks is responsible for its expenses.” [بخاري: كتاب الرهن۔ باب الرهن مركوب و محلوب ]
[411] That is, the creditor’s loan or whatever he has taken.
[412]
The Heart Alone is the Source of Good and Evil:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, warning the noble companions ؓ, said: “Behold! There is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Behold! That piece is the (human) heart.” [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب فضل من استبرء لدينه]
And in another hadith it is stated: When a person commits a sinful act, a black dot appears on his heart. Then if he repents, that dot is washed away, but if he does not repent and continues to sin, that dot keeps increasing until it covers his entire heart and makes it black. [مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب رفع الامانة والايمان من بعض الذنوب۔۔۔] Thus, sins first affect the heart and corrupt the intention, then the sinful act is committed. Then a time comes when a person’s heart becomes completely black; at that time, the heart influences his thoughts and reflections, and whatever he thinks will be wrong and sinful. Allah Almighty has described such a state of the heart as “athima qalbahu” (his heart is sinful), and those who conceal testimony are such people.
