Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Debt and Loan
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّهُ ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ اَلْأَنْصَارِ مَاتَ وَ عَلَيْهِ دِينَارَانِ دَيْناً فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ اَلنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ قَالَ "صَلُّوا عَلَى أَخِيكُمْ حَتَّى ضَمِنَهُمَا عَنْهُ بَعْضُ قَرَابَاتِهِ" فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "ذَاكَ اَلْحَقُّ" ثُمَّ قَالَ "إِنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ إِنَّمَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِيَتَّعِظُوا وَ لِيَرُدَّ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَ لِئَلاَّ يَسْتَخِفُّوا بِالدَّيْنِ وَ قَدْ مَاتَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَ قُتِلَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَ مَاتَ اَلْحَسَنُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَ قُتِلَ اَلْحُسَيْنُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ".
It is narrated from Mu'awiyah ibn Wahb who said: I said to Abu Abdillah (a.s), "It has been mentioned to us that a man from the Ansar died while owing two dinars as debt, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not pray over him and said: 'Pray over your brother,' until one of his relatives guaranteed them on his behalf." Abu Abdillah (a.s) said: "That is true." Then Imam (a.s) said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) did that so they would take heed, and so that they would support one another, and so that they would not take debt lightly. And yet the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) died while he was in debt, the Commander of the Faithful (a.s) was killed while he was in debt, Al-Hasan (a.s) died while he was in debt, and Al-Husayn (a.s) was killed while he was in debt."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْأَوَّلِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "مَنْ طَلَبَ اَلرِّزْقَ مِنْ حِلِّهِ فَغُلِبَ فَلْيَسْتَقْرِضْ عَلَى اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ ".
It is narrated from Musa ibn Bakr, from Abu Al-Hasan Al-Awwal (a.s), who said: "Whoever seeks sustenance through lawful means and is overcome, let him borrow in the name of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family)."
وَ رَوَى اَلْمِيثَمِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ - جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ يَسْتَقْرِضُ اَلرَّجُلُ وَ يَحُجُّ قَالَ "نَعَمْ" قُلْتُ يَسْتَقْرِضُ وَ يَتَزَوَّجُ قَالَ "نَعَمْ إِنَّهُ يَنْتَظِرُ رِزْقَ اَللَّهِ غُدْوَةً وَ عَشِيَّةً".
Al-Mithami narrated from Abu Musa who said: I said to Abu Abdillah (a.s)-"May I be your ransom! Can a man borrow and perform Hajj?" Imam (a.s) said: "Yes." I said: "Can he borrow and get married?" Imam (a.s) said: "Yes, for he awaits the provision of Allah (swt) morning and evening."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي ثُمَامَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ اَلثَّانِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُلاَزِمَ مَكَّةَ وَ اَلْمَدِينَةَ وَ عَلَيَّ دَيْنٌ فَمَا تَقُولُ قَالَ "اِرْجِعْ إِلَى مُؤَدَّى دَيْنِكَ وَ اُنْظُرْ أَنْ تَلْقَى اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ دَيْنٌ فَإِنَّ اَلْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَخُونُ".
It is narrated from Abu Thumamah who said: I said to Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (a.s), "I wish to remain in Makkah and Madinah, but I have a debt upon me. What do you advise?" Imam (a.s) said: "Return and pay off your debt, and make sure you meet Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, without any debt upon you, for the believer does not betray."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "مَنْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ يَنْوِي قَضَاءَهُ كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنَ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حَافِظَانِ يُعِينَانِهِ عَلَى اَلْأَدَاءِ عَنْ أَمَانَتِهِ فَإِنْ قَصَرَتْ نِيَّتُهُ عَنِ اَلْأَدَاءِ قَصَرَا عَنْهُ مِنَ اَلْمَعُونَةِ بِقَدْرِ مَا قَصَرَ مِنْ نِيَّتِهِ".
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Whoever has a debt and intends to repay it, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, appoints two angels to assist him in fulfilling his trust. But if his intention to repay falls short, their assistance will also decrease in proportion to his intention."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ بَشَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "أَوَّلُ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْ دَمِ اَلشَّهِيدِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِذُنُوبِهِ إِلاَّ اَلدَّيْنَ فَإِنَّ كَفَّارَتَهُ قَضَاؤُهُ".
It is narrated from Aban, from Bashshar, from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) who said: "The first drop of the martyr's blood is an expiation for his sins-except for debt, for its expiation is its repayment."
وَ رَوَى أَبُو خَدِيجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ أَتَى رَجُلاً فَاسْتَقْرَضَ مِنْهُ مَالاً وَ فِي نِيَّتِهِ أَلاَّ يُؤَدِّيَهُ فَذَلِكَ اَللِّصُّ اَلْعَادِي".
Abu Khadijah narrated from Abu Abdillah (a.s) who said: "Any man who goes to another man and borrows money from him while intending not to repay it, then he is a thief and a transgressor."
وَ رَوَى سَمَاعَةُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلرَّجُلُ مِنَّا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ اَلشَّيْءُ يَتَبَلَّغُ بِهِ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ أَ يُطْعِمُهُ عِيَالَهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِمَيْسَرَةٍ فَيَقْضِيَ دَيْنَهُ أَوْ يَسْتَقْرِضُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فِي خُبْثِ اَلزَّمَانِ وَ شِدَّةِ اَلْمَكَاسِبِ أَوْ يَقْبَلُ اَلصَّدَقَةَ فَقَالَ "يَقْضِي بِمَا عِنْدَهُ دَيْنَهُ وَ لاَ يَأْكُلُ أَمْوَالَ اَلنَّاسِ إِلاَّ وَ عِنْدَهُ مَا يُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ: وَ لاٰ تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوٰالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبٰاطِلِ ".
Sama'ah ibn Mihran narrated that he said: I said to Abu Abdillah (a.s), "A man among us has something with which he can sustain himself, but he is in debt. Should he feed his family with it until Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, provides him with ease so he can repay his debt, or should he borrow despite the difficulty of the times and the hardship of earning, or should he accept charity?" Imam (a.s) said: "He should use what he has to repay his debt and should not consume people's wealth unless he has the means to repay them. Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, says: 'And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly.'" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188)
وَ رَوَى أَبُو حَمْزَةَ اَلثُّمَالِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: "مَنْ حَبَسَ حَقَّ اِمْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ وَ هُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ إِيَّاهُ مَخَافَةَ مِنْ أَنَّهُ إِنْ خَرَجَ ذَلِكَ اَلْحَقُّ مِنْ يَدِهِ أَنْ يَفْتَقِرَ كَانَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَقْدَرَ عَلَى أَنْ يُفْقِرَهُ مِنْهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُغْنِيَ نَفْسَهُ بِحَبْسِهِ ذَلِكَ اَلْحَقَّ ".
Abu Hamzah Al-Thumali narrated from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that he said: "Whoever withholds the right of a Muslim while he is able to give it to him, out of fear that if he lets go of that right he might become poor, then Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, is more capable of making him poor than he is of enriching himself by withholding that right."
وَ رَوَى إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي فُدَيْكٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَعَ صَاحِبِ اَلدَّيْنِ حَتَّى يُؤَدِّيَهُ مَا لَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ مِمَّا يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ".
Isma'il ibn Abi Fudayk narrated from Abu Abdillah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), who said: "Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, is with the debtor until he repays his debt, as long as he did not acquire it through what is forbidden to him."
