Book 11: Business Transactions

Suwaid b. Qais said: Makhrafa al-‘Abdi and I imported some garments from Hajar* and brought them to Mecca. God’s Messenger came to us walking and after he had bargained with us for some trousers we sold them to him. God’s Messenger then said to a man there who was weighing out for pay, “Weigh out and give overweight.” *A name applied to the whole district of al-Bahrain. Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Jabir said the Prophet (ﷺ) owed him a debt and gave him something extra when he paid it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Abu Rabi'a said the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed forty thousand* from him, and when revenue came in he paid it to him saying, “God most high bless your family and your property! The only reward for a loan is commendation and repayment.” *The text mentions the number. It probably means dirhams. Nasa’i transmitted it.

'Imran b. Husain reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When anyone has something due to him from another he will be credited with sadaqa for every day he allows the other to postpone payment.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Sa'd b. al-Atwal said: My brother died leaving three hundred dinars and some young children, and I wanted to use them for their maintenance, but God’s Messenger said to me, “Your brother is im-prisoned by his debt, so pay it on his behalf.” I went and did so, and returned to tell God’s Messenger that I had done it and that there remained only a woman who claimed two dinars but had no proof she could show. He replied, “Give them to her, for she is speaking the truth.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah b. Jahsh said: When we were sitting in the courtyard of the mosque where the biers were laid down and God’s Messenger was sitting in the midst of us, he raised his eyes to the sky and looked, then lowering his eyes and putting his hand on his forehead he said, “Glory be to God, Glory be to God! What severity has come down!” We said nothing all day and night and experienced nothing but good till the morning. Then I asked God’s Messenger what the severity was which had come down, and he replied, “It has to do with debts. By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, if a man were to be killed in God’s path then come to life, be killed again in God’s path then come to life, and be killed once more in God’s path then come to life owing a debt, he would not enter paradise till his debt was paid.” Ahmad transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in Sharh as-sunna.