Islam Encourages To Be Kind to the Needy

Hadith Gateway

Be Kind to the Needy

Mawlana Abu Rajab Muhammad Asif Attari Madani

The final Prophet of Allah, our master Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

مَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ^[1]

Literal translation

مَنْ يَسَّرَ - Whoever creates ease

عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ - upon the financially restricted

یَسَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ - Allah will grant him ease

فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ - in the world and Hereafter.

Contextual translation

Whoever facilitates ease for those struggling financially shall have ease created for him by Allah in this world and the Hereafter.

Explanation

This hadith outlines two principles:

1.   Facilitating and making ease for those with financial problems

2.   Those who do this being granted reward

In this context, those struggling financially connote people worried by their debt or poverty. The scholars ʿAbd al-Raˈūf al-Munāwī, Mullā ʿAlī Qārī, and other commentators رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ say this can entail Muslims and non-Muslims.^[2]

Three ways to facilitate ease

There are three ways one can facilitate ease for others struggling financially:

1.   A debtor either owes you or somebody else money. If he owes it to you, give him respite even if the payment date passes. If he owes a large amount, allow him to pay back in instalments convenient for him. You can also forgive some or all the debt.^[3]

Imagine how the life of the debtor will change if you do this. Place yourself in their shoes and you will understand how it feels.

Encouragement from the Quran

Allah states with regards to granting respite to a debtor:

وَ اِنْ کَانَ ذُوْ عُسْرَۃٍ فَنَظِرَۃٌ اِلٰی مَیْسَرَۃٍ ؕ وَ اَنْ تَصَدَّقُوْا خَیْرٌ لَّکُمْ اِنْ  کُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ (۲۸۰)

And if the debtor is in difficulty, so give him respite until it becomes easy (to pay back). And giving up his entire debt is better for you, if you know. ^[4]

Sayyid Naʿīm al-Dīn Murādābādī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said, “If the debtor is poor or insolvent, giving them respite is a means of earning great reward, as is forgiving some of it or excusing it entirely.”

Shade of the ʿArsh

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم explains another virtue of these actions, “Whoever gives respite to those with financial issues or overlooks their debt, Allah shall grant him a space shaded by the ʿArsh on the Day of Judgement; the Day in which there will be no shade besides this.”^[5]

Be lenient to the debtor and earn forgiveness

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared:

There once was a man who did no virtuous deeds. Yet, he did issue loans to people and would tell his servants, “Take the debtor’s repayment if he is in good circumstances. If they are struggling financially, do not take it back. May our Lord excuse us ˹for this˺.”

When he passed away, Allah inquired from the man, “Did you ever perform good deeds?” “I did not”, the man replied, “But I did administer loans to people. When I sent my servants to collect repayment, I used to say, ‘Only take this back if the debtor is prosperous. If they are in dire straits financially, excuse them instead. Perhaps Allah will excuse us for this.’”

Allah then announced, “I have forgiven you.”^[6]

Excusing the entire debt

Imam Shaqīq al-Balkhī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said:

As I walked with Imam Abū Ḥanīfa رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, a person saw him, hid himself, and took another path. When the imam learned of this, he called the person and asked, “Why did you suddenly change the way you were going? Why did you hide?”

The person sighed, “I have owed you 10,000 dirhams for quite some time now. I cannot repay you as I am poor. I feel humiliated and embarrassed speaking to you.”

“سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه”, the imam exclaimed, “You feel this way because of me. Go, as I have excused your debt. I have made myself a witness upon my nafs. There is no need for you to hide from me again. Forgive me for the fear you felt because of me.”^[7]

Dear readers! The second type of debtor owes someone else money. You can offer assistance by paying some or all of the debt, or arrange for it to be paid in instalments. If none of these options are possible, ask the creditor to make it easier for the debtor to make repayment.^[8]

2.   Another way to help the poor and others in financial difficulty, is to provide means for them to earn. For example, giving them a job, or aiding them start a business of some kind, such as a small food stall or store. This can give them immediate monetary relief. Just slight effort is needed to get them on their feet and eventually, their financial situation will be remediated.

3.   When people are afflicted by floods, earthquakes, fires, or other natural disasters, they require immense help. If you can support victims of these events, you will receive an abundance of goodness in the Hereafter اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.

FGRF

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The reward of facilitating ease for those struggling financially

The hadith at the beginning of this article described there being reward for those who make ease for others who are poor or in dire financial straits. Said reward is Allah creating ease for them in this world and the Hereafter.

This ease created for a person by Allah is explained by Imam Munāwī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, who said this means a person’s sustenance will increase in the world, he will be protected from harm, and he will be aided in performing good deeds. In the Hereafter, his accountability will be easy and he will receive glad tidings of salvation from punishment. He will also be honoured in many ways اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.^[9]

It is not hard to act upon this hadith, and by doing so, the reward we attain is mountainous. The reader is encouraged to implement this hadith today. Perhaps there is someone poor in your community you can help, and thereby earn you these virtues. May Allah grant us ability to act upon the teachings of Islam.

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہ ِوَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ