Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 280

Mufti Taqi Usmani

If there is one in misery, then (the creditor should allow) deferment till (his) ease, and that you forgo it as alms is much better for you, if you really know.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If it is difficult for someone to repay a debt, postpone it until a time of ease. And if you waive it as an act of charity, it will be better for you, if only you knew.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If the debtor is in hardship, give him respite until it is easy for him to pay back. But if you waive it as charity, that is better for you, if only you knew.

A. J. Arberry

And if any man should be in difficulties, let him have respite till things are easier; but that you should give freewill offerings is better for you, did you but know.

Abdul Haleem

If the debtor is in difficulty, then delay things until matters become easier for him; still, if you were to write it off as an act of charity, that would be better for you, if only you knew.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And if one be in difficulties, then let there be and deferment until easiness. But if ye forego, it were better for you if ye knew.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time Till it is easy for him to repay. But if ye remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if ye only knew.

Abul Ala Maududi

If your debtor be in straitened circumstances, give him time till his monetary condition becomes better. But if you remit the debt by way of charity, it would be better for you, if you only knew it.

Ahmed Ali

If a debtor is in want, give him time until his circumstances improve; but if you forego (the debt) as charity, that will be to your good, if you really understand.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And if the debtor is in difficulty, give him respite till the time of ease; and your foregoing the entire debt from him is still better for you, if only you realise.

Ali Quli Qarai

If [the debtor] is in straits, let there be a respite until the time of ease; and if you remit [the debt] as charity, it will be better for you, should you know.

Ali Ünal

If the debtor is in straitened circumstances, let him have respite until the time of ease; if you make any remission (of his debt) by way of charity, this is better for you, if only you knew.

Amatul Rahman Omar

If any (debtor) be in straitened circumstances there shall be respite (for him) till (his circumstances) ease. But that if you remit (the debt) by way of charity (for the sake of God), it is better for you, if you only knew.

English Literal

And if he was of a hardship/poverty , so a consideration/glance to an easiness/prosperity , and that (E) you give charity (forgive the loan), (it is) best/better for you if you were knowing.

Faridul Haque

And if the debtor is in difficulty, give him respite till the time of ease; and your foregoing the entire debt from him is still better for you, if only you realise.

Hamid S. Aziz

And if a debtor be in difficulties, then wait for easier circumstances; but to remit the debt as alms is better for you, if you did but know.

Hilali & Khan

And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if (the debtor) is in straitness, let there be postponement till (he is in) ease. And that you remit (it) as alms is better for you, if you only knew.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if (the debtor) is in straitness, then let there be postponement until (he is in) ease; and that you remit (it) as alms is better for you, if you knew.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And if the debtor is in straitened circumstances, then (let there be) postponement to (the time of) ease; and that ye remit the debt as almsgiving would be better for you if ye did but know.

Muhammad Sarwar

One who faces hardship in paying his debts must be given time until his financial condition improves. Would that you knew that waiving such a loan as charity would be better for you!

Qaribullah & Darwish

If he should be in hardship, then a postponement until ease; while if you give charity it is better for you if you know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if the debtor is having a hard time, then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay; but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know.

Wahiduddin Khan

If the debtor is in straitened circumstances, then grant him respite till a time of ease. If you were to write it off as an act of charity, that would be better for you, if only you knew.

Talal Itani

But if he is in hardship, then deferment until a time of ease. But to remit it as charity is better for you, if you only knew.

Tafsir jalalayn

And if any man, in debt, should be in difficulties, then, let him have, respite, a postponement, till things are easier (read maysara or maysura, meaning `a time of ease'); but that you should give (tassaddaq, where the second t' of the softened form, tatasaddaq, has been assimilated with the sd), the one in difficulty, a voluntary almsgiving, by waiving his debt, is better for you, did you but know, [if you know] that it is better for you, then do it. In a hadth it is said, `Whoever gives respite to one in difficulty, or waives his debt, God will place him under His shade, on a day when there shall be no shade except God's', as reported by Muslim.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And if the debtor is having a hard time, then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay; but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know.

Allah commands creditors to be patient with debtors who are having a hard time financially,
وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍ
(And if the debtor is having a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay).

During the time of Jahiliyyah, when the debt came to term, the creditor would say to the debtor, "Either pay now or interest will be added to the debt."

Allah encouraged creditors to give debtors respite regarding their debts and promised all that is good, and a great reward from Him for this righteous deed,
وَأَن تَصَدَّقُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
(But if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know),

meaning, if you forfeit your debts and cancel them completely.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sulayman bin Buraydah said that his father said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

مَنْ أَنْظَرَ مُعْسِرًا فَلَهُ بِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِثْلُهُ صَدَقَة

Whoever gives time to a debtor facing hard times, will gain charity of equal proportions for each day he gives.

I also heard the Prophet say,

مَنْ أَنْظَرَ مُعْسِرًا فَلَهُ بِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِثْلُهُ صَدَقَة

Whoever gives time to a debtor facing hard times, will earn charity multiplied two times for each day he gives.

I said, `O Messenger of Allah! I heard you say, `Whoever gives time to a debtor facing hard times, will gain charity of equal proportions for each day he gives.'

I also heard you say, `Whoever gives time to a debtor facing hard times, will earn charity multiplied by two times for each day he gives.'

He said,

لَهُ بِكُلِّ يَومٍ مِثْلُهُ صَدَقَةٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحِلَّ الدَّيْنُ فَإِذَا حَلَّ الدَّيْنُ فَأَنْظَرَهُ فَلَهُ بِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِثْلَهُ صَدَقَة

He will earn charity of equal proportions for each day (he gives time) before the term of the debt comes to an end, and when the term comes to an end, he will again acquire charity multiplied by two times for each day if he gives more time."

Ahmad recorded that Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said that;

Abu Qatadah had a debt on a man, who used to hide from Abu Qatadah when he looked for him to pay what he owed him. One day, Abu Qatadah came looking for the debtor and a young boy came out, and he asked him about the debtor and found out that he was in the house eating.

Abu Qatadah said in a loud voice, "O Fellow! Come out, for I was told that you are in the house."

The man came out and Abu Qatadah asked him, "Why are you hiding from me?"

The man said, "I am having a hard time financially, and I do not have any money."

Abu Qatadah said, "By Allah, are you truly facing a hard time?"

He said, "Yes."

Abu Qatadah cried and said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

مَنْ نَفَّسَ عَنْ غَرِيمِهِ أَوْ مَحَا عَنْهُ كَانَ فِي ظِلِّ الْعَرْشِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة

Whoever gives time to his debtor, or forgives the debt, will be in the shade of the Throne (of Allah) on the Day of Resurrection."

Muslim also recorded this Hadith in his Sahih.

Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Al-Mawsili recorded that Hudhayfah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

أُتِيَ اللهُ بِعَبْدٍمِنْ عَبِيدِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ مَاذَا عَمِلْتَ لِي فِي الدُّنْيَا

On the Day of Resurrection, one of Allah's servants will be summoned before Him and He will ask him, "What deeds did you perform for Me in your life?"

فَقَالَ مَا عَمِلْتُ لَكَ يَا رَبِّ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَرْجُوكَ بِهَا قَالَهَا ثَلَثَ مَرَّاتٍ قَالَ الْعَبْدُعِنْدَ اخِرِهَا يَا رَبِّ إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ أَعْطَيْتَنِي فَضْلَ مَالٍ وَكُنْتُ رَجُلً أُبَايِعُ النَّاسَ وَكَانَ مِنْ خُلُقِي الْجَوازُ فَكُنْتُ أُيَسِّرُ عَلَى الْمُوسِرِ وَأُنْظِرُ الْمُعْسِرَ

He will say, "O Lord! In my life, I have not performed a deed for Your sake that equals an atom," three times.

The third time, the servant will add, "O Lord! You granted me wealth and I used to be a merchant. I used to be lenient, giving easy terms to those well-off and giving time to the debtors who faced hard times."

فَيَقُولُ اللهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ أَنَا أَحَقُّ مَنْ يُيَسِّرُ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّة

Allah will say, "I Am the Most Worthy of giving easy terms. Therefore, enter Paradise."

Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith from Hudhayfah, and Muslim recorded a similar wording from Uqbah bin Amir and Abu Mas`ud Al-Badri.

Allah further advised His servants, by reminding them that this life will soon end and all the wealth in it will vanish. He also reminded them that the Hereafter will surely come, when the Return to Him will occur, and that He will hold His creation accountable for what they did, rewarding them or punishing them accordingly.

Allah also warned them against His torment,

وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللّهِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ