Being Kind When Asking For Repayment

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said:

"There was a man who never did any good deed, but he used to lend to people and he would say to this messenger: "Take what can be paid easily and leave what is difficult, let them off, and perhaps Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said to him: 'Did you ever do any good did? He said: No, but I had a slave and I used to lend to people. When I sent him to collect the debts I said to him: Take what can he paid easily and leave what is difficult; let them off, and perhaps Allah will let us off. Allah, the Most High, said: 'I have let you off."'

أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " إِنَّ رَجُلاً لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ وَكَانَ يُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ فَيَقُولُ لِرَسُولِهِ خُذْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ وَاتْرُكْ مَا عَسُرَ وَتَجَاوَزْ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَتَجَاوَزَ عَنَّا فَلَمَّا هَلَكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ هَلْ عَمِلْتَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ قَالَ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لِي غُلاَمٌ وَكُنْتُ أُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ فَإِذَا بَعَثْتُهُ لِيَتَقَاضَى قُلْتُ لَهُ خُذْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ وَاتْرُكْ مَا عَسُرَ وَتَجَاوَزْ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنَّا . قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَدْ تَجَاوَزْتُ عَنْكَ " .

Abu Hurairah said:

The prophet said: "A man used to lend to people, but if he realized that someone was going through hardship, he would say to his slave: 'Let him off, perhaps Allah, the Most High, will let us off.' And when he met Allah, He let him off."

أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الزُّبَيْدِيُّ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ " كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُدَايِنُ النَّاسَ وَكَانَ إِذَا رَأَى إِعْسَارَ الْمُعْسِرِ قَالَ لِفَتَاهُ تَجَاوَزْ عَنْهُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنَّا . فَلَقِيَ اللَّهَ فَتَجَاوَزَ عَنْهُ " .