Continuation of the explanation of “... except that he was a man who mixed with people and was wealthy, so he would order his servants to be lenient with the one who was unable to pay. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:”
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The Shaykh : ... and except that he was a man who mixed with people. What does “mixed with people” mean? It means he did not isolate himself from them, but rather, as it is said today, he was a social person, not isolated or withdrawn from people, but he mixed with them and dealt with them. As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in an authentic hadith explaining the matter of the believer who mixes with people but with good, and if he is wronged by them, he does not wrong them in return, but rather he endures their harm. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 388 So the believer who mixes with people and endures [their harm]
is better than the one who does not mix with them, who isolates himself, either in his house or ... or even in the mosque, who does not mix with people and does not endure their harm. This, without doubt, indicates a flaw in his faith. But that one who mixes with people and endures their harm is better than this believer who does not mix with people and does not endure their harm. So this man, who was before the Muhammadan Ummah, was reckoned and nothing good was found in his record except faith. He had only one trait, which was that he mixed with people and dealt with them. And because of this dealing, he had acquired wealth until he became a wealthy, affluent man, and he had stores of money. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 1371
This man, because of this mixing and dealing with people, through buying and selling, trade and profit, became one of the great wealthy men. He became a merchant who had either hired servants or slave boys. Slavery was an old custom, even in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is a prescribed matter, but it has its known conditions in the books of hadith and the books of the Sunnah. I am not now in a position to explain any of these conditions, at least not now.
The important thing is that this man became, because of the mixing, a wealthy, affluent man, and he had servant boys who would account for people. So he would order his servants that when they accounted for a man of virtue, they should not be harsh with him and not be severe in demanding from him, but rather he would order them to be lenient and to say: “Do you have the ability to pay what is due to you from your debt? If so, do it. And if you do not have it, may Allah forgive you. I do not want anything from you.” So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who is the most generous of the generous and the most merciful of the merciful, dealt with this person in the same manner that he himself dealt with the children of Adam. He was the one who was lenient and forgave and overlooked the one who was unable to fulfill what was due to him of debt or obligation. So this wealthy, affluent man was lenient and overlooked him. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said to His angels on the day He reckoned the man and did not find any good in his record except this leniency toward his customers and those who owed him: “We are more deserving of that than he is. If he was lenient with My servants, and he is a servant among My servants, then I am more deserving of being lenient with him. Be lenient with him.” So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, forgave this affluent man and overlooked all his sins. Why? Because he was lenient with his companions and his customers who were not able to fulfill their debts before him. So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, rewarded this person with the type of his work, even though the leniency and forgiveness of Allah has no parallel, because this person who is lenient is only adopting a very small, very tiny part. It is not possible to compare this attribute with the attribute of the Lord of the Worlds in forgiveness. So he adopted something of the character of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, which is leniency toward the one who falls short, leniency toward the one who makes a mistake. So when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew from this person that he was lenient with the people who fell short with him, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, was lenient with his falling short with Him. And this is as He, Mighty and Majestic, said in the Noble Qur'an:[Ar-Rahman 55:60] Rather, the Lord of the Worlds rewards with good what is more than what the person deserves, because as He said: [Al-Baqarah 2:105]
The believer who mixes with people and endures their injury is better than the person who does not mix with people nor endure their injury.
المؤمن الذي يخالط الناس و يصبر على أذاهم خير من الذي لا يخالط الناس و لا يصبر على أذاهمis better than the one who does not mix with them, who isolates himself, either in his house or ... or even in the mosque, who does not mix with people and does not endure their harm. This, without doubt, indicates a flaw in his faith. But that one who mixes with people and endures their harm is better than this believer who does not mix with people and does not endure their harm. So this man, who was before the Muhammadan Ummah, was reckoned and nothing good was found in his record except faith. He had only one trait, which was that he mixed with people and dealt with them. And because of this dealing, he had acquired wealth until he became a wealthy, affluent man, and he had stores of money. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
had commanded his servants to show leniency to those who were in straitened circumstances
وكان يأمر غلمانه أن يتجاوزوا عن المعسرThis man, because of this mixing and dealing with people, through buying and selling, trade and profit, became one of the great wealthy men. He became a merchant who had either hired servants or slave boys. Slavery was an old custom, even in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is a prescribed matter, but it has its known conditions in the books of hadith and the books of the Sunnah. I am not now in a position to explain any of these conditions, at least not now.
The important thing is that this man became, because of the mixing, a wealthy, affluent man, and he had servant boys who would account for people. So he would order his servants that when they accounted for a man of virtue, they should not be harsh with him and not be severe in demanding from him, but rather he would order them to be lenient and to say: “Do you have the ability to pay what is due to you from your debt? If so, do it. And if you do not have it, may Allah forgive you. I do not want anything from you.” So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who is the most generous of the generous and the most merciful of the merciful, dealt with this person in the same manner that he himself dealt with the children of Adam. He was the one who was lenient and forgave and overlooked the one who was unable to fulfill what was due to him of debt or obligation. So this wealthy, affluent man was lenient and overlooked him. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said to His angels on the day He reckoned the man and did not find any good in his record except this leniency toward his customers and those who owed him: “We are more deserving of that than he is. If he was lenient with My servants, and he is a servant among My servants, then I am more deserving of being lenient with him. Be lenient with him.” So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, forgave this affluent man and overlooked all his sins. Why? Because he was lenient with his companions and his customers who were not able to fulfill their debts before him. So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, rewarded this person with the type of his work, even though the leniency and forgiveness of Allah has no parallel, because this person who is lenient is only adopting a very small, very tiny part. It is not possible to compare this attribute with the attribute of the Lord of the Worlds in forgiveness. So he adopted something of the character of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, which is leniency toward the one who falls short, leniency toward the one who makes a mistake. So when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew from this person that he was lenient with the people who fell short with him, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, was lenient with his falling short with Him. And this is as He, Mighty and Majestic, said in the Noble Qur'an: