Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Manifestations of the All-Merciful O Allāh, Facilitate the Payment of Every Indebted One أَللٌّهُمَّ اقْضِ دَيْنَ كُلِّ مَدِيْنٍ The Comprehensive Meaning of ‘dayn’ Many might imagine that ‘dayn ’ (debt) is the same as ‘ qard ’ (loan). In the terminology of Islamic jurisprudence, however, the word dayn has a broader connotation then the word ‘ qard .’ Dayn also covers qard in its conceptual umbrella.
Āyatullāh Makārim Shīrāzī in his Tafsīr-e Namūne alludes to this subtlety and says that qard is only applied when one is obliged to return the equivalent of the thing taken; for example, if he takes money as a loan, he would have to return the same amount of money; and if he takes a certain kind of food, he would be obliged to return the same.
However, ‘ dayn ’ has a broader framework, for it includes any kind of transaction such as ‘settlement of claim’ ( sulh ), leasing ( ijāra ), buying and selling, and the like.[^1] Debt Sometimes Hampers One From Spiritual Progress Debt at times becomes a very great impediment on the path towards God. The reason for this is that it preoccupies one’s mind and heart, and that is a decisive factor in impeding progress.
Look at the following traditions: Imām Zaynu’l ‘Ābidīn (as) in his beautiful supplication[^2] for relief from debt informs his followers of the difficult situation that a debtor normally experiences. Look at the following: O God, bless Muhammad and his Household and release me from a debt which makes me lose face, confuses my mind, disrupts my thinking, and prolongs my occupation with attending to it!
I seek refuge in You, my Lord, from worry and thought about debt, from the distraction and sleeplessness of debt; so bless Muhammad and his Household and give me refuge from it! I seek sanctuary in You, my Lord, from debt’s abasement in life and its ill effects after death… The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said[^3]: إِيَّاكُمْ وَالدَّيْنَ! فَإِنَّهُ هَمٌّ بِاللَّيلِ، وَذُلٌّ بِالنَّهَارِ.
“Beware of debt, for surely it causes grief during the night and humiliation during the day.” Another obvious case that can hamper the indebted one from spiritual development is when he is indifferent to repaying his debt: following are traditions worthy of contemplation: Imām Ja’far al-Sādiq (as) is reported[^4] to have said: أَيُّمَا رَجُلٌ أَتَىَ رَجُلاً فَاسْتَقْرَضَ مِنْهُ مَالاً وَفِي نِيَّتِهِ أَنْ لاَّ يُؤَدِّيَهُ، فَذٌلِكَ اللّصُّ الْعَادِّي.