عن عائشة رضي اللّه عنها قالت: سمِع رسول اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم صَوْتَ خُصُومٍ بالْبَابِ عَالِيَة أَصْواتُهُمَا، وَإِذَا أَحَدُهُمَا يَسْتَوْضِعُ الآخَرَ وَيَسْتَرْفِقُهُ فِي شيءٍ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: واللّهِ لا أَفعَلُ، فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمَا رسولُ اللّه صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم فقال: «أَيْنَ الْمُتَأَلِّي عَلَى اللّهِ لا يَفْعَلُ المَعْرُوفَ؟» فقال: أَنَا يَا رسولَ اللّهِ، فَلهُ أَيُّ ذلِكَ أَحَبَّ. متفقٌ عليه.
ʿAishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) heard the voices of two men quarreling loudly at the door, one asking the other to reduce a debt and to deal with him gently, while the other said, "By Allah, I will not do it." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out to them and said, "Where is the one who swears by Allah that he will not do a good deed?" The man said, "It is I, O Messenger of Allah. He shall have whichever he prefers." [Agreed upon]
الشرح · explanation
يَسْتَوْضِعُ الآخر: أي يَسْأَله أَنْ يَضَعَ عَنْهُ بَعْضَ دَينِهِ. َيَسْتَرفِقُه: يَسْأَلَهُ الرِّفْقَ. الْمُتَأَلِّي: الحَالِف. له أيُّ ذلك أحبَّ : أي له أن يختار الأفضل له؛ الرفق به بالتأجيل، أو إسقاط شيء من الدَّين عنه.
"He asks the other to reduce his debt": that is, to forgive part of what he owes. "And to deal with him gently": asks him for kindness. "Al-Mutaʾallī": the one who swears. "He shall have whichever he prefers": meaning he may choose whatever is best for him — either kindness through deferment, or a reduction of part of the debt owed.
الدروس · lessons
الحضّ على الرفق بالغريم والإحسان إليه بالوضع عنه. الزجر عن الحلف على ترك الخير، والسعي للإصلاح بين المتخاصمين. الشفاعة إلى أصحاب الحقوق، وقبول الشفاعة في الخير.
Encouragement of kindness toward a debtor and showing him favor by reducing his debt. Rebuke of swearing to withhold good, and the effort to reconcile between disputants. Interceding with those who hold rights, and accepting intercession in matters of good.