Sahih al-Bukhari 3461
Sahih
Sahih al-Bukhari — Hadith 3461
Narrated by Abu Hurairah
كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ لِفَتَاهُ إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مُعْسِرًا فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْهُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَتَجَاوَزَ عَنَّا فَلَقِيَ اللَّهَ فَتَجَاوَزَ عَنْهُ
Translation
The Prophet said: 'There was a merchant who used to lend to people, and he would say to his servant: If you find someone in hardship, forgive his debt — perhaps Allah will forgive us. When he met Allah, Allah forgave him.'
Commentary
This hadith illustrates the Islamic principle that mercy begets mercy. A man's habitual generosity toward debtors in difficulty earned him divine forgiveness. It encourages financial compassion and demonstrates that economic ethics in Islam are tied directly to spiritual reward.