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Kindness and Compassion in Monetary Dealings

Islam has laid great stress on honesty and truth fullness in trade and other monetary dealings and described profound virtue and Excellency in it. It has declared it to be a means of gaining nearness unto Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa). Islam, likewise, enjoins on us to be kind and avoid harshness and severity in our monetary transactions and has promised great spiritual advantage in it also. We will reproduce two of the Prophet’s Traditions here:

“Blessings of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) be on him who is mild and gentle in his business transactions and in the realization of his dues.”

“Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) will protect him from the agonies of the Day of judgment who allows respite to a poor and indigent servant of His in the payment of his debt or writes off the debt (altogether or a part of it).”

These Traditions are meant for merchants and other wealthy men from whom people borrow money in the hour of their need. As for the borrowers, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to urge them to do their best to pay back their debts quickly lest they die in a state of indebtedness, with the claim of anyone lying unsettled on their heads. How strict the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was in this regard can be imagined from the following Traditions:

“If a person is killed in the path of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) then all his sins will be forgiven (by virtue of his martyrdom). But if he owes anyone anything even martyrdom will not secure his release from it.”

“By the lord in whose power lies the life of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), if a person falls a martyr in the path of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and returns to life and is killed again in the path of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and returns to life and is killed again in the path of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and returns to life only to be killed once more in the cause of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and there is still a debt outstanding against him, (until it is settled) even he will not be able to enter Paradise”.

These two Traditions are quite sufficient to show what great importance Islam attaches to monetary affairs and the rights of men. May Allah grant us the wisdom to understand their delicacy and significance and to make it our constant Endeavour to assure that the claims of no one are left unsatisfied by us!

Social conduct and mutual relations

Social conduct, good manners and respect for the rights of each other, again, form an important part of Islamic teachings. One can become a good and true Muslim only when one also observes faithfully the social code of Islam by which we mean the rules and regulations governing the modes and manners of behaviour between man and man and man and society as lay down by it. For instance, what should the attitude of parents be towards their children and of children towards their parents? What sort of conduct should prevail between brothers and between brothers and sisters? How should husband and wife live together? How are we to treat those who are older than ourselves and those that are younger? What are the rights of our neighbors on us? How should the rich behave towards the poor and the poor towards the rich? What mode of