ONE AYAT A DAY
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا تَدَايَنْتُمْ بِدَيْنٍ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَاكْتُبُوْهُۗ وَلْيَكْتُبْ بَّيْنَكُمْ كَاتِبٌۢ بِالْعَدْلِۖ وَلَا يَأْبَ كَاتِبٌ اَنْ يَّكْتُبَ كَمَا عَلَّمَهُ اللّٰهُ فَلْيَكْتُبْۚ وَلْيُمْلِلِ الَّذِيْ عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ وَلْيَتَّقِ اللّٰهَ رَبَّهٗ وَلَا يَبْخَسْ مِنْهُ شَيْـًٔاۗ فَاِنْ كَانَ الَّذِيْ عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ سَفِيْهًا اَوْ ضَعِيْفًا اَوْ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُ اَنْ يُّمِلَّ هُوَ فَلْيُمْلِلْ وَلِيُّهٗ بِالْعَدْلِۗ وَاسْتَشْهِدُوْا شَهِيْدَيْنِ مِنْ رِّجَالِكُمْۚ فَاِنْ لَّمْ يَكُوْنَا رَجُلَيْنِ فَرَجُلٌ وَّامْرَاَتٰنِ مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَدَۤاءِ اَنْ تَضِلَّ اِحْدٰىهُمَا فَتُذَكِّرَ اِحْدٰىهُمَا الْاُخْرٰىۗ وَلَا يَأْبَ الشُّهَدَۤاءُ اِذَا مَا دُعُوْا ۗ وَلَا تَسْـَٔمُوْٓا اَنْ تَكْتُبُوْهُ صَغِيْرًا اَوْ كَبِيْرًا اِلٰٓى اَجَلِهٖۗ ذٰلِكُمْ اَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ وَاَقْوَمُ لِلشَّهَادَةِ وَاَدْنٰىٓ اَلَّا تَرْتَابُوْٓا اِلَّآ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ تِجَارَةً حَاضِرَةً تُدِيْرُوْنَهَا بَيْنَكُمْ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَلَّا تَكْتُبُوْهَاۗ وَاَشْهِدُوْٓا اِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُضَاۤرَّ كَاتِبٌ وَّلَا شَهِيْدٌ ەۗ وَاِنْ تَفْعَلُوْا فَاِنَّهٗ فُسُوْقٌۢ بِكُمْ ۗ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ۗ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللّٰهُ ۗ وَاللّٰهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيْمٌ
Yā ayyuhal-lażīna āmanū iżā tadāyantum bidainin ilā ajalim musamman faktubūh(u), walyaktub bainakum kātibum bil-‘adl(i), wa lā ya'ba kātibun ay yaktuba kamā ‘allamahullāhu falyaktub, walyumlilil-lażī ‘alaihil-ḥaqqu walyattaqillāha rabbahū wa lā yabkhas minhu syai'ā(n), fa'in kānal-lażī ‘alaihil-ḥaqqu safīhan au ḍa‘īfan au lā yastaṭī‘u ay yumilla huwa falyumlil waliyyuhū bil-‘adl(i), wastasyhidū syahīdaini mir rijāliūkum, fa'illam yakūnā rajulaini farajuluw wamra'atāni mimman tarḍauna minasy-syuhadā'i an taḍilla iḥdāhumā fatużakkira iḥdāhumal-ukhrā, wa lā ya'basy-syuhadā'u iżā mā du‘ū, wa lā tas'amū an taktubūhu ṣagīran au kabīran ilā ajalih(ī), żālikum aqsaṭu ‘indallāhi wa aqwamu lisy-syahādati wa adnā allā tartābū illā an takūna tijāratan ḥāḍiratan tudīrūnahā bainakum falaisa ‘alaikum junāḥun allā taktubūhā, wa asyhidū iżā tabāya‘tum, wa lā yuḍārra kātibuw wa lā syahīd(un), wa in taf‘alū fa'innahū fusūqum bikum, wattaqullāh(a), wa yu‘allimukumullāh(u), wallāhu bikulli syai'in ‘alīm(un).
O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. Let no scribe refuse to write as Allāh has taught him. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation [i.e., the debtor] dictate. And let him fear Allāh, his Lord, and not leave anything out of it. But if the one who has the obligation is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses - so that if one of them [i.e., the women] errs, then the other can remind her. And let not the witnesses refuse when they are called upon. And do not be [too] weary to write it, whether it is small or large, for its [specified] term. That is more just in the sight of Allāh and stronger as evidence and more likely to prevent doubt between you, except when it is an immediate transaction which you conduct among yourselves. For [then] there is no blame upon you if you do not write it. And take witnesses when you conclude a contract. Let no scribe be harmed or any witness. For if you do so, indeed, it is [grave] disobedience in you. And fear Allāh. And Allāh teaches you. And Allāh is Knowing of all things.
The Necessity of Writing Transactions That Take Effect Later onThis Ayah is the longest in the Glorious Qur'an. Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir recorded that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that he was told that the Ayah most recently revealed from above the Throne -- the last Ayah to be revealed in the Qur'an -- was the Ayah about debts.Allah's statement,يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا تَدَايَنتُم بِدَيْنٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَاكْتُبُوهُ(O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down) directs Allah's believing servants to record their business transactions when their term is delayed, to preserve the terms and timing of these transactions, and the memory of witnesses, as mentioned at the end of the Ayah,ذَلِكُمْ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأَقْوَمُ لِلشَّهَـدَةِ وَأَدْنَى أَلاَّ تَرْتَابُواْ(that is more just with Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves.)The Two Sahihs recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to Al-Madinah, while the people were in the habit of paying in advance for fruits to be delivered within one or two years. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«مَنْ أَسْلَفَ، فَلْيُسْلِفْ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ، وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ، إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُوم»(Whoever pays money in advance (for dates to be delivered later) should pay it for known specified measure and weight (of the dates) for a spe…