It Is Injustice for the Rich to Delay Payment
📖Sahih al-Bukhari 2166, Sahih Muslim 1564
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, Delayed payment by a rich person is an act of injustice.
This hadith emphasizes the moral and social responsibility of the wealthy to fulfill their financial obligations promptly. A rich person has the means to pay what is owed, and intentionally delaying payment causes unnecessary hardship to the person entitled to the money. Such behavior exploits the vulnerable and violates the principle of fairness.
Why it is an act of injustice (zulm):
- Delaying payment by choice, when one has the ability to pay, is an abuse of power.
- It creates suffering for those who rely on that money, causing social and economic harm.
- Islam considers exploiting the powerless or withholding what is rightfully theirs a clear form of injustice.
Quranic Context
📖Quran 2:188
And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you to consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].”
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Withholding or misusing someone else’s wealth intentionally is condemned.
📖Quran 4:29
“O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you.”
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Financial injustice, including intentional delay, violates Allah’s command of fairness.
📖Quran 83:1-3
Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full, But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
This verse criticizes those who exploit others financially, which directly connects to the wrongdoing of delaying debts or payments.
Lessons for Today
- Wealth brings responsibility: Having means does not justify delaying payment.
- Justice over convenience: Intentionally withholding money is an act of oppression.
- Ethical finance matters: Prompt repayment reflects integrity and obedience to Allah.
Deliberately delaying payment when one is able to pay is considered injustice in Islam. The wealthy are especially accountable to avoid exploiting others, and fulfilling obligations promptly is both a moral and spiritual duty.