Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 2 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 252

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

A commentary on Riyadh as-Salihin, drawn from the words of the Master of the Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - إِذَا كَانَ لَهُمْ غَرِيمٌ مُعْسِرٌ يَحْتَالُ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنْ يُدَايِنَهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى بِرِبًا، فَيَقُولُ مَثَلًا: اشْتَرِ مِنِّي السِّلْعَةَ الْفُلَانِيَّةَ بِزِيَادَةٍ عَلَى ثَمَنِهَا وَأَوْفِنِي، أَوْ يَتَّفِقُ مَعَ شَخْصٍ ثَالِثٍ يَقُولُ: اذْهَبْ تَدَيَّنْ مِنْ فُلَانٍ وَأَوْفِنِي، وَهَكَذَا حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ هَذَا الْمِسْكِينُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ هَذَيْنِ الظَّالِمَيْنِ كَالْكُرَةِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الصَّبِيِّ يَلْعَبُ بِهَا - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ -.

Some people—we seek refuge in Allah—exploit an insolvent debtor by trapping him into further usurious debt. They might say, 'Buy this item from me at an inflated price and pay me back,' or they conspire with a third party, telling the debtor, 'Go borrow from so-and-so to pay me off.' This poor soul is tossed between these two oppressors like a ball in the hands of a child—we seek refuge in Allah.

وَالْحَاصِلُ: إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ شَخْصًا يَطْلُبُ مُعْسِرًا أَنْ تُبَيِّنُوا لَهُ أَنَّهُ آثِمٌ، وَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ حَرَامٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَنَّهُ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْظَارُهُ؛ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿ وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ ﴾ [الْبَقَرَةِ: ٢٨٠]، وَأَنَّهُ إِذَا ضَيَّقَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُضَيِّقَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَوِ الْآخِرَةِ، أَو فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ مَعًا، وَيُوشِكُ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ لَهُ بِالْعُقُوبَةِ، وَمِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ أَنْ يَسْتَمِرَّ فِي مُطَالَبَةِ هَذَا الْمُعْسِرِ وَهُوَ مُعْسِرٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ كُلَّمَا طَالَبَهُ ازْدَادَ إِثْمًا.

In short, if you see someone hounding an insolvent debtor, make it clear to him that he is committing a sin and that his actions are forbidden. He is obligated to grant the debtor a respite, as Allah the Almighty states: 'If the debtor is in difficulty, then grant him a delay until a time of ease' [Al-Baqarah: 280]. By constricting his Muslim brother, he risks having Allah constrict him in this life, the next, or both. He invites swift punishment, and part of that punishment is his persistence in demanding payment from someone who cannot pay, as every demand only adds to his sin.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (25 verbs · 48 nouns)

• كَانَ — to be
• اِحْتَالَ — to cheat
• دَايَنَ — to lend
• بَعْضٌ — some
• غَرِيمٌ — debtor
• مُعْسِرٌ — insolvent person