Chapter on Debt and Loan
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 2
وَ رَوَى سَمَاعَةُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلرَّجُلُ مِنَّا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ اَلشَّيْءُ يَتَبَلَّغُ بِهِ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ أَ يُطْعِمُهُ عِيَالَهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِمَيْسَرَةٍ فَيَقْضِيَ دَيْنَهُ أَوْ يَسْتَقْرِضُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فِي خُبْثِ اَلزَّمَانِ وَ شِدَّةِ اَلْمَكَاسِبِ أَوْ يَقْبَلُ اَلصَّدَقَةَ فَقَالَ "يَقْضِي بِمَا عِنْدَهُ دَيْنَهُ وَ لاَ يَأْكُلُ أَمْوَالَ اَلنَّاسِ إِلاَّ وَ عِنْدَهُ مَا يُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ: وَ لاٰ تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوٰالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبٰاطِلِ ".
Sama'ah ibn Mihran narrated that he said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, "A man among us has something with which he can sustain himself, but he is in debt. Should he feed his family with it until Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Exalted, provides him with ease so he can repay his debt, or should he borrow despite the difficulty of the times and the hardship of earning, or should he accept charity?" Imam عليه السلام said: "He should use what he has to repay his debt and should not consume people's wealth unless he has the means to repay them. Indeed, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Exalted, says: 'And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly.'" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 215