‘Umar b. al-Khattab told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “If anyone keeps grain from the Muslims waiting for the price to rise, God will smite him with tubercular leprosy* and insolvency.” Ibn Majah, Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, and Razin in his book transmitted it. * Judham.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone with-holds grain for forty days thereby desiring a high price, he has renounced God and God has renounced him.” Razin transmitted it.

Mu‘adh told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “The man who withholds goods is evil. If God lowers prices he is grieved, and if He raises them he is happy.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-lman and Razin in his book.

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone hoards grain for forty days and then gives it in sadaqa, that will not act as an atonement for him.” Razin transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone becomes insolvent and a creditor finds his very property with him, he is more entitled to it than anyone else.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id said that in the time of the Prophet a man suffered loss affecting fruits he had bought and owed a large debt, so God’s messenger told the people to give him sadaqa and they did so, but as that was not enough to pay the debt in full God’s Messenger said to his creditors, “Take what you can find, but that is all you may have.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet told of a man who used to make loans and say to his servant, “When you come to one who is in straitened circumstances forgive him, for perhaps God may forgive us.” He said that when he met God He forgave him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Qatada reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone would like God to save him from the anxieties of the day of resurrection, he should grant a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances, or remit his debt.” Muslim transmitted it.

He told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “He who grants a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances or who remits his debt will be saved by God from the anxieties of the day of resurrection.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abul Yasar told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “He who grants a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances or remits his debt will be taken by God under His protection.” Muslim transmitted it.

God’s Messenger borrowed a young camel, and when the camels of the sadaqa came to him he ordered me to pay the man his young camel. When I told him that I could find only an excellent camel in its seventh year he said, “Give it to him, for the best person is he who discharges his debt in the best manner." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that a man demanded payment of a debt from God's Messenger in a most uncivil manner and his companions were vexed, but he said, “Leave him alone, for one who has a right is entitled to speak, and buy him a camel and give it to him." When they told him that all they could find was one of a more excellent age than the man was entitled to, he said, “Buy it and give him it, for the best person among you is he who discharges his debt in the best manner." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's Messenger as saying, “Delay in payment by a rich man is injustice, but when one of you is referred for payment to a wealthy* man he should accept the reference." (Bukhari and Muslim.) *Mali'. This word is used of a wealthy man, and also of one who cannot be called wealthy but who is careful to pay his debts.

Ka'b b. Malik said that in the time of God’s Messenger he made demand in the mosque for payment of a debt due to him from Ibn Abu Hadrad and their voices rose till God’s Messenger, who was in his house, heard them. He went out to them and removing the curtain of his chamber called to Ka'b b. Malik addressing him by name. He replied, “At your service, Messenger of God", whereupon he made a gesture with his hand indicating that he should remit half the debt due to him, and when Ka'b expressed his willingness he told the other to get up and discharge his debt. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

While we were sitting with the Prophet a bier was brought along and the Prophet was asked to pray over it. He asked whether the dead man owed anything and when he was told that he did not he prayed over it. Another bier was brought along later, and when he asked whether the dead man owed anything and was told that he did, he asked whether he had left anything. On being told that he had left three dinars he prayed over the bier. A third was brought along later, and when he asked whether the dead man owed anything and was told that he owed three dinars, he asked whether he had left anything. On being told that he had not, he ordered them to pray over their friend; but when Abu Qatada said, “Pray over him, Messenger of God, and I shall be responsible for his debt,” he prayed over him. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone accepts other people’s belongings meaning to pay back, God will pay back for him; but if anyone accepts them meaning to squander them, God will on that account destroy his property.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Qatada told of a man saying, “Tell me, Messenger of God, if I am killed in God’s path showing endurance, seeking my reward from God, advancing and not retreating, will God efface my sins?” He replied, “Yes,” but when the man turned away he called him and said, “Yes, with the exception of a debt. Thus Gabriel said.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every fault but a debt will be forgiven to a martyr.” Muslim transmitted it.

A man who had died in debt would be brought to God’s Messenger and he would ask whether he had left any-thing to discharge his debt. If he was told ^that he had left enough he would pray, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to pray over their friend. But when God wrought the conquests at his hands he stood up and said, “I am closer to the believers than their own selves (Al-Qur’an 33:6), so if any of the believers dies leaving a debt I shall be responsible for paying it, and if anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We went to Abu Huraira regarding a friend of ours who was insolvent and he said, “This is what God’s Messenger decided about him. If any one dies or is insolvent, the owner of the goods has most right to them if he finds his actual goods.” Shafi'i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A believer’s soul is attached to his debt till it is paid.” Shafi‘i, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported God's Messenger as saying, "A debtor is bound to his debt and will complain to his Lord of loneliness on the day of resurrection.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna. A mursal tradition is transmitted to the effect that Mu'adh was in debt and his creditors went to the Prophet who sold all his property to pay his debt, with the result that Mu'adh had nothing left. This is the wording in al-Masabih, but the only source in which I have found it is al-Muntaqa.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Ka’b b. Malik said that Mu'adh b. Jabal was a generous young man who could save nothing and was always borrowing, so that he expended all his property on his debts. He went to the Prophet and asked him to speak to his creditors, and if they would have remitted debts to anyone they would have done it to Mu'adh for God’s Messenger’s sake, but God’s Messenger sold them his property with the result that Mu'adh had nothing left. Sa'id transmitted it in his Sunan in mursal form.

Ash-Sharid reported God’s Messenger as saying, ‘‘Delay in payment on the part of one who possesses the means makes it lawful to dishonour and punish him.” Ibn al-Mubarak said that “dishonour” means he may be spoken to roughly and “punish” means he may be imprisoned for it. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudrl said that a corpse was brought to the Prophet on a bier for him to pray over it and he asked the people whether their friend owed anything. On being told that he did, he asked whether he had left anything to discharge it, and when they replied that he had not, he told them to pray over him. But ‘Ali b. Abu Talib said, “I shall be responsible for his debt, Messenger of God,” so he went forward and prayed over him. A version has something to the same effect, adding that he said, “May God redeem your pledges from hell as you have redeemed the pledges of your brother Muslim! No Muslim will discharge his brother’s debt without God redeeming his pledges on the day of resurrection.” It is transmitted in Sharh as- sunna.

Thauban reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone dies free from pride, unfaithfulness regarding spoil, and debt, he will enter paradise.” Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Musa reported the Prophet as saying, “The greatest sin in God's sight, after the serious sins which God has prohibited, which a man can bring into His presence is that he should die in debt without leaving enough to discharge it.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Amr b. ‘Auf al-Muzani reported the Prophet as saying, “Reconciliation is allowable between Muslims except such as makes unlawful something which is lawful, or makes lawful something which is unlawful ; and Muslims must keep to the conditions they have made, except for a condition which makes unlawful something which is lawful, or makes lawful something which is unlawful.” Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Abu Dawud transmitted it, but Abu Dawud's transmission ended at “the conditions they have made.”

Makhrafa al-‘Abdi and I imported some garments from Hajar* and brought them to Mecca. God’s Messenger came to us walking and after he had bargained with us for some trousers we sold them to him. God’s Messenger then said to a man there who was weighing out for pay, “Weigh out and give overweight.” *A name applied to the whole district of al-Bahrain. Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Jabir said the Prophet owed him a debt and gave him something extra when he paid it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Abu Rabi'a said the Prophet borrowed forty thousand* from him, and when revenue came in he paid it to him saying, “God most high bless your family and your property! The only reward for a loan is commendation and repayment.” *The text mentions the number. It probably means dirhams. Nasa’i transmitted it.

'Imran b. Husain reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When anyone has something due to him from another he will be credited with sadaqa for every day he allows the other to postpone payment.” Ahmad transmitted it.

My brother died leaving three hundred dinars and some young children, and I wanted to use them for their maintenance, but God’s Messenger said to me, “Your brother is im-prisoned by his debt, so pay it on his behalf.” I went and did so, and returned to tell God’s Messenger that I had done it and that there remained only a woman who claimed two dinars but had no proof she could show. He replied, “Give them to her, for she is speaking the truth.” Ahmad transmitted it.

When we were sitting in the courtyard of the mosque where the biers were laid down and God’s Messenger was sitting in the midst of us, he raised his eyes to the sky and looked, then lowering his eyes and putting his hand on his forehead he said, “Glory be to God, Glory be to God! What severity has come down!” We said nothing all day and night and experienced nothing but good till the morning. Then I asked God’s Messenger what the severity was which had come down, and he replied, “It has to do with debts. By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, if a man were to be killed in God’s path then come to life, be killed again in God’s path then come to life, and be killed once more in God’s path then come to life owing a debt, he would not enter paradise till his debt was paid.” Ahmad transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in Sharh as-sunna.

Zuhra b. Ma'bad said his grandfather 'Abdallah b. Hisham would take him out to the market and buy grain, and Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn az- Zubair would meet him and say to him, “Take us into partnership, for the Prophet has invoked a blessing on you then he would take them into partnership. He would often make a profit of a camel-load* and send it to the house. ‘Abdallah b. Hisham had been taken by his mother to the Prophet who passed his hand over his head and invoked a blessing on him. Bukhari transmitted it. * Another explanation is that this means he made enough profit to buy a camel with its load' Cf. Mirqat, iii, 344.

Abu Huraira told that the Ansar asked the Prophet to divide the palm-trees between them and their brethren, but he replied, “No; save us the trouble of maintenance and we shall share the fruit with you.” They said, “We hear and we obey." Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Urwa b. Abul Ja‘d al-Bariqi said that God’s Messenger gave him a dinar to buy a sheep for him. He bought two sheep for him, sold one of them for a dinar and brought him a sheep and dinar. So God’s Messenger invoked a blessing on him in his business dealings, and he was such that if he had bought dust he would have made a profit from it. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira traced to the Prophet the statement that God who is great and glorious says, “I make a third with two partners as long as one of them does not cheat the other, but when he cheats him I depart from them." Abu Dawud transmitted it and Razin added, “and the devil comes."

He reported the Prophet as saying, “Place trust in him who trusts you, but do not cheat him who cheats you.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Jabir said he intended to go to Khaibar, so he went to the Prophet, gave him a salutation and told him of his purpose. He replied, “When you come to my agent take fifteen camel-loads from him, and if he desires a sign from you put your hand on his collar-bone*”. *This was evidently a pre-arranged sign to show that the Messenger was genuine. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

A business transaction with a time specified, muqarada* and mixing wheat and barley for one’s household but not for sale.” Ibn Majah transmitted it. * Giving someone some property to trade with, the profit being shared between the two, but any loss falling on the property.

Hakim b. Hizam said God's Messenger sent him with a dinar to buy a sacrificial animal for him. He bought a sheep for a dinar, sold it for two, came back, bought a sacrificial animal for a dinar, and brought it along with the extra dinar which he had gained. God’s Messenger gave the dinar as sadaqa and asked a blessing on him in his trading. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa'id b. Zaid reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone takes a span of land unjustly, its extent taken from seven earths will be tied round his neck on the day of resurrection.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No one must milk a man’s animal without his permission. Would any of you like his upper chamber to be entered, his treasury broken into, and his food taken away? The udders of their animals store up their food for them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that when the Prophet was with one of his wives one of the mothers of the faithful sent a bowl containing food and the one in whose house he was struck the servant’s hand with the result that the bowl fell and was broken in pieces. The Prophet collected the pieces of the bowl, then began to collect in it the food it had contained, saying, “Your mother is jealous.” He then detained the servant till a bowl was produced by the one in whose house he was, gave the sound bowl to the one whose bowl had been broken and kept the broken one in the house of the one who broke it. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Yazid said that the Prophet forbade spoliation¹ and mutilation². Bukhari transmitted it. 1. Either taking some of the spoil in battle before the division of the booty has been made, or appropriating anything belonging to a Muslim. 2. The reference here may simply be to cutting off certain parts of animals, but it can apply to human beings as well.

Jabir said that in the time of God’s Messenger there was a solar eclipse on the day his son Ibrahim died, and he led the people in a prayer of six rak'as with four sajdas, finishing when the sun came out of the eclipse. He then said, “There is nothing you have been promised which I have not seen during this prayer of mine. Hell was brought, and that was when you saw me draw back from fear that some of its heat might strike me. I saw in it, dragging his entrails in hell, the owner of the crooked stick who used to steal from pilgrims with his crooked stick saying, if it was noticed, that the article had accidentally attached itself to the stick, but going off with it if it was not noticed. I also saw the woman who possessed a cat which she tied up and did not feed or allow it to go and eat of the creeping things on the ground with the result that it died of hunger. Then paradise was brought, and that was when you saw me go forward and stand in my place and stretch out my hand meaning to take some of its fruit that you might look at it; but I thought it better not to do so.” Muslim transmitted it.

Qatada told of hearing Anas say that when there was an alarm in Medina the Prophet borrowed from Abu Talha a horse called al-Mandub which he rode. When he returned he said, “I did not see anything, and I found that the horse could run as speedily as a great river.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sa'id b. Zaid reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone makes barren land fertile it belongs to him, but no right pertains to one who plants wrongfully in land another has brought into cultivation*”. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Malik transmitted it in mursal form on the authority of ‘Urwa. Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition. *'Irq zalim, the literal translation would be “a wrongful root.” The translation given above represents the general sense of the phrase.

Abu Hurra ar-Raqashi on his paternal uncle’s authority reported God’s Messenger as saying, “You must not act oppressively, and a man’s property may not be taken except with his goodwill.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman and Daraqutni in al-Mujtaba.