Extending Due Date of Payment in Favor of the Borrower

“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, bending his palm on a hot day, said, ‘Who wants to provide a shadow for himself against the heat of the blaze of hell fire?’ He repeated the sentence three times, and every time people said, ‘We want such a shadow, O Messenger of Allah.’ He then said, ‘He is the one who extends the due date of loan repayment or waives it altogether in favor of a borrower who has difficulty paying.’” “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said to me, “Abd Allah ibn Ka‘b ibn Malik has said to me that his father told him, “Once, in the Masjid I got hold of a person who had borrowed from me. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, came and (seeing us) he went inside his house, while we were sitting in the Masjid. He then came out in the heat of the sun and began to speak, saying, ‘O Ka‘b, are you both still sitting there?’ I, Ka‘b then replied, ‘Yes, I pray to Allah to keep the souls of my father and mother in the service of your cause.’ The Messenger of Allah then pointed to his palm and said, ‘Take this half.’ I, Ka‘b, then said, ‘Yes, I pray to Allah to keep the souls of my father and mother in service for your cause.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Waive the other half in his favor.’ I took the half and waived the other half in favor of the borrower.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one day the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, sat on the pulpit. He praised Allah, spoke of His glory, prayed for His prophets, and then said the following: ‘O people, those of you present must inform those who are absent. Whoever extends the due date for repayment in favor of a borrower who has difficulty to pay back, for such a person with Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, for every day a reward of charity equal to the amount of loan is recorded, until the loan is repaid.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘If a borrower has difficulty repaying the loan, he should be given time until his difficulty is no more, but it is better for you if you count it as is charity if he has difficulty to pay. You should provide him charity from your property; it is better for you.’”