The Meaning of the Hadith: “Delaying the Rich Person is Injustice,” and Forms of Delaying Payment
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: Now, regarding the second matter; when we say: .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I mean, we are referring to a situation where one person has a claim on another person—for example, he owes me two hundred dinars, and I have two hundred dinars with me. If I do not give it to him, for instance, would that be considered injustice?
The Shaykh: I mean, you owe him two hundred, and you have two hundred.
The questioner: Yes, yes, two hundred.
The Shaykh: That is not a consideration or a standard; because there is a difference between a person who has nothing other than these two hundred, from which he spends on himself and his family, and another person who, it is true, has nothing other than the two hundred; but his provision comes to him tomorrow and the day after from sources other than these two hundred; meaning, these two hundred are surplus for him. So, the first person, no, he has two hundred, he looks to pay one hundred and keep one hundred with him so that he can live on it. As for the second person, as long as his provision comes to him tomorrow and the day after...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: This is a rich person; he must give these two hundred and not leave even a single qirsh with him.
The questioner: Glory be to Allah!
Another questioner: They, may Allah have mercy on them—our Shaykh—will keep them in this business and benefit from it...
The Shaykh: No, they will employ them.
The questioner: They will employ them, they will tell you: instead of giving them to him, I am just working with them.
The Shaykh: I am working with them and I benefit!!
The questioner: But later I will give them to him, I am just delaying him.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, against selfishness!!
Another questioner: One person used to boast that so-and-so owed him ten, fifteen thousand dinars... by two thousand dinars.
The Shaykh: [The Shaykh laughs!] Allahu Akbar!
Another questioner: So that they remain in the bank to invest them.
Another questioner: Then these—our Shaykh—will be, for example, the salaries of the workers—for example—or the employees who have this large institution, thirty per month, each one from the new month must be paid, they will keep them until the fifth of the new month to the seventh of the new month; well, why is it like that? They will tell you: I benefit from these, what is it to them, what is it to you, brother, one week? Without a week?
The Shaykh : ... .
Another questioner: What has happened to you...
The Shaykh: But it matters to him.
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: He is currently, even many workers... they put their money, these get delayed three months, four months...
The Shaykh: But the banks transfer to them, so they go to check on them, and they say: It has not arrived yet!!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: It has not arrived yet, it has not arrived yet, and it is coming!!
The questioner: Yes, so that they benefit.
The Shaykh: They benefit, haram upon haram!!
The delay of a wealthy person in paying his debt is injustice.
مطل الغنيِّ ظلمThe Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I mean, we are referring to a situation where one person has a claim on another person—for example, he owes me two hundred dinars, and I have two hundred dinars with me. If I do not give it to him, for instance, would that be considered injustice?
The Shaykh: I mean, you owe him two hundred, and you have two hundred.
The questioner: Yes, yes, two hundred.
The Shaykh: That is not a consideration or a standard; because there is a difference between a person who has nothing other than these two hundred, from which he spends on himself and his family, and another person who, it is true, has nothing other than the two hundred; but his provision comes to him tomorrow and the day after from sources other than these two hundred; meaning, these two hundred are surplus for him. So, the first person, no, he has two hundred, he looks to pay one hundred and keep one hundred with him so that he can live on it. As for the second person, as long as his provision comes to him tomorrow and the day after...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: This is a rich person; he must give these two hundred and not leave even a single qirsh with him.
The questioner: Glory be to Allah!
Another questioner: They, may Allah have mercy on them—our Shaykh—will keep them in this business and benefit from it...
The Shaykh: No, they will employ them.
The questioner: They will employ them, they will tell you: instead of giving them to him, I am just working with them.
The Shaykh: I am working with them and I benefit!!
The questioner: But later I will give them to him, I am just delaying him.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, against selfishness!!
Another questioner: One person used to boast that so-and-so owed him ten, fifteen thousand dinars... by two thousand dinars.
The Shaykh: [The Shaykh laughs!] Allahu Akbar!
Another questioner: So that they remain in the bank to invest them.
Another questioner: Then these—our Shaykh—will be, for example, the salaries of the workers—for example—or the employees who have this large institution, thirty per month, each one from the new month must be paid, they will keep them until the fifth of the new month to the seventh of the new month; well, why is it like that? They will tell you: I benefit from these, what is it to them, what is it to you, brother, one week? Without a week?
The Shaykh : ... .
Another questioner: What has happened to you...
The Shaykh: But it matters to him.
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: He is currently, even many workers... they put their money, these get delayed three months, four months...
The Shaykh: But the banks transfer to them, so they go to check on them, and they say: It has not arrived yet!!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: It has not arrived yet, it has not arrived yet, and it is coming!!
The questioner: Yes, so that they benefit.
The Shaykh: They benefit, haram upon haram!!
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.