Sunan Ibn Majah
The Chapters on Charity
كتاب الصدقات
Chapter 11
مَنِ ادَّانَ دَيْنًا لَمْ يَنْوِ قَضَاءَهُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us: Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Sayfi ibn Suhayb al-Khayr narrated to us: Abd al-Hamid ibn Ziyad ibn Sayfi ibn Suhayb narrated to me, from Shuayb ibn Amr, who narrated to us from Suhayb al-Khayr, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said, “Any man who incurs a debt while firmly intending not to repay it will meet Allah as a thief.”
Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami narrated to us: Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Sayfi narrated to us, from Abd al-Hamid ibn Ziyad, from his father, from his grandfather Suhayb, from the Prophet ﷺ, with a similar report.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Both transmission forms in the Arabic are included, including the second chain variant. The central condition is a firm prior intention not to repay the debt.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Yaqub ibn Humayd ibn Kasib narrated to us: Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Thawr ibn Zayd al-Dayli, from Abu al-Ghayth—the client of Ibn Muti—from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever takes property belonging to people intending to destroy it, Allah will destroy him.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source identifies Abu al-Ghayth as a client of Ibn Muti; that biographical note is preserved.
Chapter 12
التَّشْدِيدِ فِي الدَّيْنِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Humayd ibn Masadah narrated to us: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us: Said narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from Madan ibn Abi Talhah, from Thawban—the client of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said, “Whoever departs this life with his soul leaving his body while free of three things will enter Paradise: arrogance, misappropriation, and debt.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic identifies Thawban as a mawla of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ghulul denotes misappropriation, especially from war booty; the source wording is kept concise while preserving the term sense.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Marwan al-Uthmani narrated to us: Ibrahim ibn Sad narrated to us, from his father, from Umar ibn Abi Salamah, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The soul of a believer remains suspended by debt until it is paid on his behalf.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic chain is supplied in full. The passive phrase حتى يقضى عنه is rendered as the debt being paid on the believer behalf.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Thalabah ibn Sawa narrated to us: My paternal uncle, Muhammad ibn Sawa, narrated to us, from Husayn al-Muallim, from Matar al-Warraq, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever dies owing a dinar or a dirham, it will be settled from his good deeds, for there will be no dinar or dirham there.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic wording specifies either a dinar or a dirham and states that settlement is from good deeds because no currency is available there. The family relation “my paternal uncle” in the chain is retained.
Chapter 13
مَنْ تَرَكَ دَيْنًا أَوْ ضَيَاعًا فَعَلَى اللَّهِ وَعَلَى رَسُولِهِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn Amr ibn al-Sarh al-Misri narrated to us: Abdullah ibn Wahb narrated to us: Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, that when a believer died during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ leaving a debt, he would ask, “Did he leave anything with which his debt could be paid?” If they said yes, he would lead the funeral prayer for him; if they said no, he would say, “Pray over your companion.” When Allah granted His Messenger conquests, he said, “I have a stronger claim over the believers than they have over themselves. Whoever dies owing a debt, its repayment is my responsibility; whoever leaves property, it belongs to his heirs.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The whole report, including the earlier practice and the later statement after the conquests, is translated. The debt question concerns whether the deceased left assets to discharge it.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ali ibn Muhammad narrated to us: Waki narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Jafar ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever leaves property, it belongs to his heirs. Whoever leaves a debt or dependents without support, the responsibility is mine and they come under my care; I have the stronger claim over the believers.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic pairs debt with ضياع, dependents left without care or provision. The phrase فعلي وإلي assigns responsibility and recourse to the Prophet; the English witness omits this nuance and compresses the wording.
Chapter 14
إِنْظَارِ الْمُعْسِرِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Abu Muawiyah narrated to us, from al-Amash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever makes things easier for someone in financial difficulty, Allah will make things easier for him in this world and the Hereafter.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic refers to easing matters for someone in straitened financial circumstances; the wording leaves open whether this is through respite, reduced payment, or other assistance.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Numayr narrated to us: My father narrated to us: al-Amash narrated to us, from Nufay, Abu Dawud, from Buraydah al-Aslami, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said, “Whoever gives a debtor in difficulty respite will have a charity recorded for each day. Whoever continues to give him respite after the debt falls due will have a charity like it for each day.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic distinguishes respite before and after the debt becomes due. It says the latter reward is مثلُه (“like it”); the English witness explains this as equivalent to the loan amount, an interpretation not explicit in the Arabic wording.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Yaqub ibn Ibrahim al-Dawraqi narrated to us: Ismail ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Muawiyah, from Hanzalah ibn Qays, from Abu al-Yasar, a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever wishes Allah to shade him in His shade, let him give a debtor in difficulty respite or waive part of what he owes.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic gives two forms of assistance: respite or reducing/remitting the debt. The wording does not specify that the whole loan must be waived.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Abu Amir narrated to us: Shubah narrated to us, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, who said: I heard Ribii ibn Hirash relating from Hudhayfah, from the Prophet ﷺ. A man died, and he was asked what he had done—or he recalled, or was reminded—and he said, “I used to be lenient in handling currency and collecting payment, and I used to give respite to a debtor in difficulty.” So Allah forgave him. Abu Masud said: I heard this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source preserves uncertainty in the phrase “he recalled, or was reminded,” and includes Abu Masud confirmation after the report. السكة والنقد is rendered broadly as leniency in handling currency and collecting payment; the exact financial practice is not further specified in this wording.
Chapter 15
حُسْنِ الْمُطَالَبَةِ وَأَخْذِ الْحَقِّ فِي عَفَافٍ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Khalaf al-Asqalani and Muhammad ibn Yahya both narrated to us: Ibn Abi Maryam narrated to us: Yahya ibn Ayyub narrated to us, from Ubaydullah ibn Abi Jafar, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar and Aishah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever seeks a right should seek it with dignity and restraint, whether the amount is ample or not.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic chain includes two Companions. The phrase عفاف وافر أو غير وافر is compressed and ambiguous; the English witness glosses it as doing so as much as one can. The translation preserves the apparent contrast between a full and lesser amount.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn al-Muammal ibn al-Sabbah al-Qaysi narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Muhabbab al-Qurashi narrated to us: Said ibn al-Saib al-Taifi narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Yamin, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the claimant, “Take your due with dignity and restraint, whether in full measure or otherwise.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic phrase عفاف وافر أو غير وافر is compressed and ambiguous, also appearing in the preceding report. The English witness glosses this as taking what one can, but the Arabic wording is retained as an ambiguous contrast about amount or measure.
Chapter 16
حُسْنِ الْقَضَاءِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Shababah narrated to us. Muhammad ibn Bashshar also narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Jafar narrated to us. Both said: Shubah narrated to us, from Salamah ibn Kuhayl, who said: I heard Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman relating from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The best of you—or among the best of you—are those best in repaying what they owe.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source gives two opening routes converging at Shubah and preserves uncertainty between “the best of you” and “among the best of you”; both are retained.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Waki narrated to us: Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Rabiah al-Makhzumi narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet ﷺ borrowed thirty or forty thousand from him when he went on the campaign of Hunayn. When he returned, he repaid it in full. The Prophet ﷺ then said to him, “May Allah bless your family and your wealth. The reward for a loan is repayment and gratitude.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic gives thirty or forty thousand but does not specify the unit; no currency is added. The closing phrase is الوفاء والحمد, fulfillment of repayment and praise or gratitude, unlike the English witness wording “words of paradise.”
Chapter 17
لِصَاحِبِ الْحَقِّ سُلْطَانٌ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala al-Sanani narrated to us: Mutamir ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from his father, from Hanash, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: A man came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ seeking a debt or some other right. He spoke to him, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were about to intervene against him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Leave him be. The creditor has authority over the debtor until the debt is paid.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says only that the man spoke “some words”; the English witness characterizes this as harsh speech, which is not explicit in this source wording. The claimant right and the Prophet instruction to let him speak are preserved.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman, Abu Shaybah, narrated to us: Ibn Abi Ubaydah narrated to us—I think he said—my father narrated to us, from al-Amash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Said al-Khudri, who said: A Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ demanding repayment of a debt he owed him. He pressed him hard, saying, “I insist that you repay me.” The Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rebuked him and said, “Woe to you! Do you know whom you are addressing?” He replied, “I am only asking for my right.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Why were you not on the side of the one with a rightful claim?” Then he sent for Khawlah bint Qays and said to her, “If you have dates, lend them to us until our dates arrive, and then we will repay you.” She said, “Yes, may my father be ransomed for you, Messenger of Allah.” She lent them to him, and he repaid the Bedouin and gave him food. The Bedouin said, “You have repaid me fully; may Allah repay you fully.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Those are the best of people. No community is purified if the weak among them cannot obtain their rights without difficulty.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain preserves the transmitter uncertainty “I think he said.” The Arabic depicts forceful debt collection, but the claimant asserts his right; the Prophet corrects the Companions for not supporting the rightful claimant. The final phrase غير متعتع means without being troubled, obstructed, or made to struggle; “without difficulty” preserves this sense.
Chapter 18
الْحَبْسِ فِي الدَّيْنِ وَالْمُلاَزَمَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Ali ibn Muhammad both narrated to us: Waki narrated to us: Wabr ibn Abi Dulaylah al-Taifi narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Maymun ibn Musaykah narrated to me—Waki praised him well—from Amr ibn al-Sharid, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Delay by a solvent debtor makes his reputation and punishment liable.”
Ali al-Tanafisi explained: His reputation means that a complaint may be made against him; his punishment means imprisonment.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic includes Waki praising Muhammad ibn Maymun ibn Musaykah and an explanatory note attributed to Ali al-Tanafisi. The matn phrase permits complaint and legal punishment for delay by a solvent debtor; the note specifies complaint and imprisonment.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hadiyyah ibn Abd al-Wahhab narrated to us: al-Nadr ibn Shumayl narrated to us: al-Hirmas ibn Habib narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: I came to the Prophet ﷺ with a debtor of mine. He said to me, “Stay with him.” Later that day, he passed by me and said, “What happened to your captive, brother of Banu Tamim?”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic calls the debtor “your captive” in the Prophet question, a pointed rhetorical expression retained from the source.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Yahya and Yahya ibn Hakim both narrated to us: Uthman ibn Umar narrated to us: Yunus ibn Yazid informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Abdullah ibn Kab ibn Malik, from his father, that he demanded repayment from Ibn Abi Hadrad for a debt owed to him in the mosque. Their voices rose until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard them while he was in his house. He came out, called Kab, and Kab replied, “At your service, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Waive this much of your debt,” and gestured with his hand to indicate half. Kab said, “I have done so.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Get up and repay it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The gesture is explicitly glossed in the Arabic as half. The sequence implies that Kab agrees to waive half, after which the debtor is told to repay the balance.