The Meaning of the Hadith: "Delaying the Rich is Injustice"
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
He asks: What is the meaning of the hadith, "Delaying the payment of a wealthy person is an injustice"?
Answer:
Delaying the payment of a wealthy person means the one who is able to settle the debt but delays it; it is failing to fulfill the debt owed when its due date arrives. It is obligatory to pay the debt and to hasten to do so. Delaying the payment of a wealthy person who has the means is forbidden. As for the one who is unable to pay, he must be given time[Al-Baqarah 2:280]. As for the wealthy person, he is not given time because he has no excuse, and his delay in paying is a delay, and it is an injustice. This injustice permits exposing him by complaining to the judge or the ruler, saying, "So-and-so has eaten my right" or "So-and-so has wronged me." This is backbiting, but it is permissible because one does not reach his right except by this means. It is permissible to expose him and punish him by imprisonment. He is exposed by complaining to the ruler and describing him as a delayer and an unjust person. If he is punished, he is imprisoned until he pays. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
He asks: What is the meaning of the hadith, "Delaying the payment of a wealthy person is an injustice"?
Answer:
Delaying the payment of a wealthy person means the one who is able to settle the debt but delays it; it is failing to fulfill the debt owed when its due date arrives. It is obligatory to pay the debt and to hasten to do so. Delaying the payment of a wealthy person who has the means is forbidden. As for the one who is unable to pay, he must be given time
And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease.
وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍThe presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/129 — archive.org (2:48)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.