Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Chapter on Fulfilling the Needs of the Muslims”:
Needs are what a person requires to complete his affairs. As for necessities, they are what a person is compelled to have to avert harm. Averting necessities is obligatory. It is obligatory for a person, if he sees his brother in a necessity, to avert that necessity. If he sees him in need of food or drink, or in need of warmth or coolness, it is obligatory for him to fulfill his need, to remove his necessity, and to lift his harm. The scholars even say: “If a person is compelled to eat food that is in the hand of another person, or to drink a drink that is in his hand, and the person who has the food or drink is not in need of it but withholds it after being asked, and the first person dies, then he is liable for it, because he was negligent in saving his brother from destruction”.
As for when the matter is a need and not a necessity, it is better that you help your brother with his need and make it easy for him, as long as the need is not in his harm. If the need is in his harm, do not help him, because Allah says,[Al-Ma'idah 5:2],
So if it were assumed that a person needed to smoke cigarettes and asked you to help him by paying the price for him or buying it for him or the like, it is not permissible for you to help him, even if he is in need. Even if you saw him suffering and wanting to smoke, do not help him, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2]. Even if it were your father, you do not help him with this. Even if he were angry with you for not bringing it to him, let him be angry, because his anger is in a place where anger is not appropriate. In fact, if you refrain from bringing to your father what harms him, you are dutiful to him and not undutiful, because this is excellence (ihsan). The greatest excellence is to prevent your father from what harms him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And on this basis, the author’s statement: “The Chapter on Fulfilling the Needs of the Muslims” means permissible needs. It is incumbent upon you to help your brother with them, for Allah is in your aid as long as you are in the aid of your brother.
Then the author mentioned hadiths that we have already discussed, indeed we have already spoken about them, so there is no need to repeat them. However, some phrases in them require discussion. Among them is his saying:Sunan Ibn Majah 2417Sahih (Darussalam)
Also included in this is if you are seeking a person who is in difficulty, it is obligatory for you to make things easy for him, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:280]. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: “Whoever has a debtor who is in difficulty, it is forbidden for him to demand the debt from him, or to press him for it, or to take his case to the judge. Rather, it is obligatory for him to grant him a delay”. There are some people, may Allah protect us, who do not fear Allah and do not have mercy on the servants of Allah. They press those who are in difficulty, tighten the noose around them, take them to the responsible authority, and they are imprisoned, harmed, and prevented from seeing their families and homes. All of this is due to injustice. And if the judge establishes that the person is in difficulty, it is obligatory for him to remove the injustice from him and to say to his creditors: You have no right to anything.
Then, some people, may Allah protect us, if they have a debtor who is in difficulty, they resort to ruses, may Allah grant us safety. They resort to ruses against him by lending him again with usury (riba). They say: Buy this item from me at a price higher than its cost and pay me. Or they agree with a third person and say: Go and borrow from so-and-so and pay me. And so on, until he becomes like a ball in the hands of a boy playing with it, may Allah protect us.
So the important thing is that I ask you, if you see a person demanding from one who is in difficulty, to make it clear to him that he is sinful, that it is forbidden for him, and that it is obligatory for him to grant him a delay, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:280]. And if he tightens things for his Muslim brother, he will soon find that Allah tightens things for him in this world or in the Hereafter, or in this world and the Hereafter. He will soon be hastened to punishment. And among the punishments is that he continues to demand from this person who is in difficulty while he is in difficulty. Because every time he demands from him, he increases in sin. Every time he demands from him, he increases in sin. Every time he demands from him, he increases in sin.
And conversely, there are some people, may Allah protect us, who delay the rights that are upon them, despite their ability to pay them. You find that the owner of the right comes to him and he says: Tomorrow. And when he comes to him the next day, he says: The day after tomorrow. And so on. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:. And if it is injustice, then every hour or moment that passes does not increase him except in sin. We ask Allah for safety and well-being for us and for you.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Chapter on Fulfilling the Needs of the Muslims”:
Needs are what a person requires to complete his affairs. As for necessities, they are what a person is compelled to have to avert harm. Averting necessities is obligatory. It is obligatory for a person, if he sees his brother in a necessity, to avert that necessity. If he sees him in need of food or drink, or in need of warmth or coolness, it is obligatory for him to fulfill his need, to remove his necessity, and to lift his harm. The scholars even say: “If a person is compelled to eat food that is in the hand of another person, or to drink a drink that is in his hand, and the person who has the food or drink is not in need of it but withholds it after being asked, and the first person dies, then he is liable for it, because he was negligent in saving his brother from destruction”.
As for when the matter is a need and not a necessity, it is better that you help your brother with his need and make it easy for him, as long as the need is not in his harm. If the need is in his harm, do not help him, because Allah says,
but do not cooperate in sin and aggression
وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِSo if it were assumed that a person needed to smoke cigarettes and asked you to help him by paying the price for him or buying it for him or the like, it is not permissible for you to help him, even if he is in need. Even if you saw him suffering and wanting to smoke, do not help him, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
but do not cooperate in sin and aggression
وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِHelp your brother whether he is a wrongdoer or one who is wronged. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how do we help the wrongdoer? He said: By preventing him from injustice, and that is how you help him.
انصر أخاك ظالماً أو مظلوماً، قالوا : يا رسول الله : كيف نصر الظالم ؟ قال: تمنعه من الظلم، فذلك نصرك إياهThen the author mentioned hadiths that we have already discussed, indeed we have already spoken about them, so there is no need to repeat them. However, some phrases in them require discussion. Among them is his saying:
Whoever is easy with (a debtor) who is in difficulty, Allah will be easy with him in this world and in the Hereafter.
مَن يسر على معسر، يسر الله عليه في الدنيا والآخرةAlso included in this is if you are seeking a person who is in difficulty, it is obligatory for you to make things easy for him, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease
وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍThen, some people, may Allah protect us, if they have a debtor who is in difficulty, they resort to ruses, may Allah grant us safety. They resort to ruses against him by lending him again with usury (riba). They say: Buy this item from me at a price higher than its cost and pay me. Or they agree with a third person and say: Go and borrow from so-and-so and pay me. And so on, until he becomes like a ball in the hands of a boy playing with it, may Allah protect us.
So the important thing is that I ask you, if you see a person demanding from one who is in difficulty, to make it clear to him that he is sinful, that it is forbidden for him, and that it is obligatory for him to grant him a delay, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease
وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍAnd conversely, there are some people, may Allah protect us, who delay the rights that are upon them, despite their ability to pay them. You find that the owner of the right comes to him and he says: Tomorrow. And when he comes to him the next day, he says: The day after tomorrow. And so on. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: