Quran Garden

Session 307

Chapter 2

Verses 280 & 281

If the debtor is in difficulty, then delay things until matters become easier for him; still, if you were to write it off as an act of charity, that would be better for you, if only you knew. (Chapter 2: Verse 280)

             The phrase “If the debtor is in difficulty” recognizes the lender’s right in getting back the principal of the loan.  Allah, however, is asking the rich for consideration and common courtesy.  If the borrower is going through hardship, the lender is advised to be patient and allow for a grace period.  Each extra minute of waiting will be rewarded by Allah. 

It is said that the reward for a loan is higher than the reward for charity.  This is despite the fact that when you give to charity, you completely let go of your money, while when lend you eventually get it back.  The scholars explained that when you give to charity, you feel the pain of letting go of your money once, and then you forget about it.  On the other hand, when you lend, you keep thinking about your money; you anticipate repayment and worry about missed and late payments.  The more patience you exhibit, the higher the reward you attain. 

Of course, patience is only required when the borrower is in true hardship.  He or she should be doing all that is reasonably possible to pay back the loan in a timely manner.  If the borrower is lying, or procrastinating, then he or she has fallen into sin. 

I often get asked by a lender: “How would I know if the borrower is procrastinating or not?” I usually advise the lender to look into his or her heart.  If it is preoccupied with worry about the loan, then most likely the borrower is procrastinating and giving excuses.  If the heart is at ease, then most likely the borrower is truthful in his or her distress.  I would like to remind you of a narration of our beloved prophet.  He, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever borrows money from others with the intent of paying it back on time will receive God’s full support in repayment.  And whoever borrows money from others with the intent of laying it to waste will be wasted by God.”

When you borrow money, Allah looks into your heart and intention.  If you sincerely plan to pay back the lender, Allah will support you.  If you are scamming people, then Allah will lay you and your wealth to ruin. 

During the time of the prophet, a man who was heavily indebted passed away.  Prophet Muhammad asked his companions to perform the Janaza funeral prayer for the man, but he, peace be upon him, did not join them.  Why? Because the man was a procrastinator who always delayed paying back his debts.

Our beloved Prophet wanted ease and gentleness to prevail in society.  He said: “Whoever is patient with a borrower in difficulty and whoever forgives a debt, will be shaded by God’s shade on the day where there is no shade but the shade of the Almighty.”  Being patient means to give the borrower extra time without constant reminders and harassment.  The righteous used to avoid even passing by the home of the person who owes them money.  They did not want the borrower to feel uncomfortable or pressured.  At even a higher level, the lender would just forgive the debt and make it a gift.  God says: “if you were to write it off as an act of charity, that would be better for you, if only you knew.” The phrase “better for you” is a promise from God for a great reward.

So if you happen to be in a position to lend someone money, you have three options: First, you can collect your debt in full on time, regardless of the borrower’s circumstances.  Second, you can choose to be a bit higher on the piety scale and give the borrower in hardship a grace period.  Third, at the highest level, you can forgive part of the loan or the entire loan.  You have the freedom to do whatever you like, but keep God’s reward in mind. 

You can attain a level of piety called ‘Ihasn.’  ‘Ihsan’ means to go beyond obligation and expectations.  Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him- explained: “Ihsan is to worship God as if you see Him; for if you cannot see Him, then rest assured that He sees you.” Allah gives us a detailed description of those who attained ‘Ihsan’ in the following verses:

The righteous will be in Gardens with ?owing springs. They will receive their Lord’s gifts because of the Ihsan they did before: sleeping only little at night, praying at dawn for God’s forgiveness, giving a share of their wealth to the beggar and the deprived. (51:15-19)

Did Allah ask you to stay up at night to pray? No, He did not.  You can fulfil your obligation by praying the night Isha prayer and then go to sleep.  If you want to enter the realm of Ihsan, however, then you would pray additional prayers after Isha and into the night.

Did Allah ask you to wake up before Dawn and pray for forgiveness? No, He did not.  You can fulfil your obligation by sleeping till the morning Fajr prayer.  But if you want to enter the realm of Ihsan, you would wake up a little earlier to spend some time with your Lord in prayer. 

How about charity? Allah asked you for a small percentage of your excess wealth ranging from 2.5% to 20% as Zakat almsgiving.  He says:

Those who are regular in their prayers, who give a due share of their wealth to the needy and the deprived (70:23-25)

Did you notice the difference between obligation and ‘Ihsan’?  When Allah spoke about obligation He said: ‘those who give a due share of their wealth.’  However, when He spoke about Ihasn, He said: ‘those giving a share of their wealth’ omitting the work ‘due’ because when you practice ‘Ihasn’ you choose to give more that what is due. 

Here we should pause and take note of the beauty of Islamic legislation compared to man-made laws.  When legislators write laws and constitutions, they write them in a dry manner.  For example, the punishment for murder is death, and the punishment for manslaughter is 20 years in prison and so forth.  God, on the other hand, legislates based on both justice and courtesy.  Listen to the verse regarding murder, the most heinous of crimes.  God says:

You who believe, fair retribution is prescribed against you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. But if the perpetrator is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the perpetrator shall pay what is due in good will.  This is easing from your Lord and an act of mercy. If anyone then exceeds these limits, grievous suffering awaits him. (2:178)

Likewise, when it comes to debt and money, God says:

If the debtor is in difficulty, then delay things until matters become easier for him; still, if you were to write it off as an act of charity, that would be better for you, if only you knew. (Chapter 2: Verse 280)

Let’s move to the next verse in ‘The Cow.’  God says:

And be mindful of the day in which you will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul shall be paid fully for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. (Chapter 2: Verse 281)

             Allah warns you: “be mindful of the day in which you will be brought back to Allah” translated from the Arabic origin “Itaqoo Yauman.”  The word ‘Itaqoo’ is very rich in meaning, and the translation “be mindful” does not quite do it justice.  It encompasses all the following meanings: to be mindful of, to shield yourself from, to guard yourself, to be vigilant, and to fear.  

             Usually a day or a week or a month is nothing to be afraid of.  You may fear an event, but not a day.  However, the Day of Judgment is so packed with horrifying events, one after the other, that it should be feared in its entirety. 

             Take note of the accuracy of the Quranic expression: ‘you will be brought back to Allah.’  More specifically, the phrase ‘brought back’ indicates that meeting the Lord on that day is not by your choice or mine, rather, it is God’s.  However, when Allah speaks about the righteous, the expression changes.  Listen to the following verses:

Seek help with steadfastness and prayer- though this is hard indeed for anyone but the humble, who know that they will meet their Lord and that it is to Him they will return.

(2:45, 46)

             The believers who did well in life look forward to meeting their Lord: ‘To Him they return.’  As for the sinners and disbelievers, they ‘will be brought back to Allah’ against their wishes.  God says:

Woe on that Day to those who deny the Truth, who amuse themselves with idle chatter: the Day they are shoved roughly into the Fire of Hell (52:11-13)