The Quran

282

Preface

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا إِذا تَدايَنتُم بِدَينٍ إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَاكتُبوهُ ۚ وَليَكتُب بَينَكُم كاتِبٌ بِالعَدلِ ۚ وَلا يَأبَ كاتِبٌ أَن يَكتُبَ كَما عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ ۚ فَليَكتُب وَليُملِلِ الَّذي عَلَيهِ الحَقُّ وَليَتَّقِ اللَّهَ رَبَّهُ وَلا يَبخَس مِنهُ شَيئًا ۚ فَإِن كانَ الَّذي عَلَيهِ الحَقُّ سَفيهًا أَو ضَعيفًا أَو لا يَستَطيعُ أَن يُمِلَّ هُوَ فَليُملِل وَلِيُّهُ بِالعَدلِ ۚ وَاستَشهِدوا شَهيدَينِ مِن رِجالِكُم ۖ فَإِن لَم يَكونا رَجُلَينِ فَرَجُلٌ وَامرَأَتانِ مِمَّن تَرضَونَ مِنَ الشُّهَداءِ أَن تَضِلَّ إِحداهُما فَتُذَكِّرَ إِحداهُمَا الأُخرىٰ ۚ وَلا يَأبَ الشُّهَداءُ إِذا ما دُعوا ۚ وَلا تَسأَموا أَن تَكتُبوهُ صَغيرًا أَو كَبيرًا إِلىٰ أَجَلِهِ ۚ ذٰلِكُم أَقسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأَقوَمُ لِلشَّهادَةِ وَأَدنىٰ أَلّا تَرتابوا ۖ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ تِجارَةً حاضِرَةً تُديرونَها بَينَكُم فَلَيسَ عَلَيكُم جُناحٌ أَلّا تَكتُبوها ۗ وَأَشهِدوا إِذا تَبايَعتُم ۚ وَلا يُضارَّ كاتِبٌ وَلا شَهيدٌ ۚ وَإِن تَفعَلوا فَإِنَّهُ فُسوقٌ بِكُم ۗ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ عَليمٌ

Ahmed Ali

O believers, when you negotiate a debt for a fixed term¹, draw up an agreement in writing, though better it would be to have a scribe write it faithfully down; and no scribe should refuse to write as God has taught him, and write what the borrower dictates, and have fear of God, his Lord, and not leave out a thing. If the borrower is deficient of mind or infirm, or unable to explain, let the guardian explain judiciously; and have two of your men to act as witnesses; but if two men are not available, then a man and two women you approve, so that in case one of them is confused the other may prompt her. When the witnesses are summoned they should not refuse (to come). But do not neglect to draw up a contract, big or small, with the time fixed for paying back the debt. This is more equitable in the eyes of God, and better as evidence and best for avoiding doubt. But if it is a deal about some merchandise requiring transaction face to face, there is no harm if no (contract is drawn up) in writing. Have witnesses to the deal, (and make sure) that the scribe or the witness is not harmed. If he is, it would surely be sinful on your part. And have fear of God, for God gives you knowledge, and God is aware of everything.

The verse deals with a special kind of monetary transaction, as the word dain signifies. Generally translated as ‘debt’ dain also means, as here, ‘bill of hand’, which would be called ‘Letter of Credit’ today. The conditions of an LC can very tricky and complicated, and are often missed even by experienced businessmen and legal experts. That is why, perhaps, the Qur’an emphasises that the terms of the contract should be written down, preferably by a well-versed scribe, who would today be equivalent to a lawyer. There being no established courts of law at that time, the Qur’an suggest a further safeguard og having witnesses to the deal, namely, two men, and in case two men are not available, one man and two women of whom only one, in reality, is the witness, the other being just her helper in case she gets confused. That is why the role of the second woman is so clearly defined. These precautions have not been suggested in the case of a simple transaction face to face about merchandise, mentioned in the later part of the verse, and the simply way of pledging the goods against the loan is considered sufficient. The presence of two women does not mean that both are witnesses, or that the evidence of one woman is half of that of a man. In no other place in the Qur’an two women have been suggested as witnesses except here, because this is a case of a special transaction and women, not being adepts at business, were likely to get confused than men.