Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 4 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 84

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Commentary on Riyadh as-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings be upon him.

وَيُطَالِبُونَهُمْ، وَيَدْفَعُونَ بِهِمْ إِلَى وُلَاةِ الْأُمُورِ، وَيَحْبِسُونَهُمْ عَنْ أَهْلِيهِمْ وَأَوْلَادِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ، وَهَذَا لَا شَكَّ أَنَّهُ مُنْكَرٌ، وَالْوَاجِبُ عَلَى الْقُضَاةِ إِذَا عَلِمُوا أَنَّ هَذَا مُعْسِرٌ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ الْوَفَاءَ، أَنْ يَقُولُوا لِلدَّائِنِ: لَيْسَ لَكَ حَقٌّ فِي مُطَالَبَتِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى هُوَ الْحَكَمُ، وَهُوَ الْحَاكِمُ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ﴾، لَكِنْ يَتَعَلَّلُ بَعْضُ الْقُضَاةِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ، يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ بَعْضَ الْمَدِينِينَ يَتَلَاعَبُونَ بِالنَّاسِ فَيَأْكُلُونَ الْأَمْوَالَ، وَيَجْحَدُونَ الْإِيسَارَ، فَيُعَامِلُونَهُمْ بِهَذَا تَنْكِيلًا بِهِمْ، نَعَمْ إِذَا ثَبَتَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْمَدِينَ ادَّعَى الْإِعْسَارَ، وَلَيْسَ بِمُعْسِرٍ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يُجْبَرَ وَيُحْبَسَ وَيُعَاقَبَ حَتَّى يُوَفِّيَ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ، فَإِنَّ الْحَاكِمَ يَتَوَلَّى بَيْعَ مَا شَاءَ مِنْ مَالِهِ وَيُوَفِّي دَيْنَهُ، أَمَّا الَّذِي نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ مُعْسِرٌ حَقِيقَةً، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ لِطَالِبِهِ أَنْ يُطَالِبَهُ، وَلَا أَنْ يَقُولَ: أَعْطِنِي، بَلْ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُعْرِضَ عَنْهُ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ ﴿فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ﴾.

Creditors harass debtors, hand them over to the authorities, and lock them away from their families, children, and property. This is undeniably wrong. When judges know a debtor is truly insolvent and unable to pay, they must tell the creditor that he has no right to demand payment. Allah is the ultimate Judge between His servants, and He has declared: 'If the debtor is in hardship, grant him a delay until he is in better circumstances.' Some judges, however, make excuses, claiming that certain debtors manipulate people, consume their money, and hide their wealth, so they punish them as a deterrent. Certainly, if it is proven that a debtor is lying about his insolvency, there is no harm in forcing, imprisoning, and punishing him until he settles his debt. If he still refuses, the judge may sell off his assets to satisfy the claim. But for someone known to be genuinely insolvent, the creditor has no right to demand payment or insist on being paid; he must leave the debtor alone entirely, in accordance with the command: 'grant him a delay until he is in better circumstances.'

وَاللَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ. ١٣٧٣ -

Allah is the source of all success.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (29 verbs · 44 nouns)

• طَالَبَ — to demand
• دَفَعَ — to push
• حَبَسَ — to imprison
• وَلِيّ — guardian
• أَمْر — matter
• أَهْل — family