Etiquette of Asking for Payment

دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَنْ جَاءَ الْمَشْكُوُّ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا لِفُلَانٍ يَشْكُوكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَشْكُونِي أَنِّي اسْتَقْضَيْتُ مِنْهُ‌[2] حَقِّي قَالَ فَجَلَسَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مُغْضَباً ثُمَّ قَالَ كَأَنَّكَ إِذَا اسْتَقْضَيْتَ حَقَّكَ لَمْ تُسِئْ أَ رَأَيْتَ مَا حَكَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي كِتَابِهِ- يَ

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has said the following: “Once, a man came to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), to complain before him (the Imam) against one of his companions. In a little while the defendant came in and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), a

قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ لِي عَلَى بَعْضِ الْحَسَنِيِّينَ مَالًا وَ قَدْ أَعْيَانِي أَخْذُهُ وَ قَدْ جَرَى بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَهُ كَلَامٌ وَ لَا آمَنُ أَنْ يَجْرِيَ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ مَا أَغْتَمُّ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لَيْسَ هَذَا طَرِيقَ التَّقَاضِي وَ لَكِنْ إِذَا أَتَيْتَهُ أَطِلِ الْجُلُوسَ وَ الْزَمِ السُّكُوتَ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَمَا فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا يَسِيراً حَتَّى أَخَذْتُ مَا

“He (the narrator) has said that a man once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘A man of Al- Husayniy people owes me a certain amount. Asking him for payment has become tiring for me. We had an argument about it and I am afraid something may happen between us that will make me sad.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘This is no

قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا ع‌ فِي الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مَالٌ فَيَجْحَدُهُ قَالَ إِنِ اسْتَحْلَفَهُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ الْيَمِينِ شَيْئاً وَ إِنْ تَرَكَهُ وَ لَمْ يَسْتَحْلِفْهُ فَهُوَ عَلَى حَقِّهِ.

“About the case of a man to whom another person owes a certain amount of assets but denies such liability one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘If he (creditor) makes him (the debtor) to take an oath, thereafter he (the creditor) is not entitled to take anything from him (th

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا وَجَعَ إِلَّا وَجَعُ الْعَيْنِ وَ لَا هَمَّ إِلَّا هَمُّ الدَّيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘No other ache is a serious ache except an eye ache, and no anxiety is a serious anxiety except the anxiety because of debts.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الدَّيْنُ رِبْقَةُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُذِلَّ عَبْداً وَضَعَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Debt is the loop of Allah on earth and when He wants to humiliate a person. He places it on his neck.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ حَبَسَ مَالَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ وَ هُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ إِيَّاهُ مَخَافَةَ إِنْ خَرَجَ ذَلِكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ يَدِهِ أَنْ يَفْتَقِرَ كَانَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَقْدَرَ عَلَى أَنْ يُفْقِرَهُ مِنْهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُفْنِيَ نَفْسَهُ بِحَبْسِهِ ذَلِكَ الْحَقَّ.

‘One who withholds the assets of a Muslim, despite his ability to give it to him, just because of fear of standing in need, Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has greater power to impoverish him because of wasting his time and soul for holding back such right.’”