[Explanation]
Imam al-Nawawi—may Allah have mercy on him—writes in Riyad al-Salihin, under the chapter that prohibits miserliness and avarice, that Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying, “Beware of wrongdoing, for wrongdoing will be layers of darkness on the Day of Resurrection.”
“Beware of wrongdoing” means: guard yourselves from it, place a barrier between yourselves and it, and stay far away from it.
Wrongdoing (ẓulm) is to transgress against another. The gravest and most serious form of wrongdoing is against Allah Himself; Allah the Exalted says, “Indeed, associating partners with Allah is a tremendous wrongdoing” (Luqman 31:13).
Wronging people falls into two categories:
- Withholding what is due to them, and
- Aggressing against them by seizing their property or violating their sanctity.
An example of the first category is found in the Prophet’s statement, “Delaying payment by a wealthy person is injustice.” In other words, when someone who is solvent refuses to settle his debt, he is committing injustice by withholding an obligation. Anyone who possesses the means must hasten to repay what he owes; it is unlawful for him to delay. Should he postpone payment while able to make it, he is an oppressor—Allah forbid.
Wrongdoing will be layers of darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and every hour or even moment that passes for the procrastinator only increases his sin—may Allah protect us. Moreover, Allah may make his affairs difficult so that he can no longer repay, whether due to stinginess or poverty, for Allah the Exalted says, “And whoever is mindful of Allah…”