P2-HAD-14 Major teachings in the Hadiths Paper 2, Question 1 · compulsory
Hadith 14 — Kindness in selling, buying and asking for repayment
This Hadith asks Allah's mercy for a person who is easy-going and fair when selling, buying and seeking repayment. Commerce should protect dignity and trust, especially where one party has greater power.
Compulsory Question 1 Hadith 14 Life in the community
Syllabus connection
- P2.T1.b3 What each passage teaches about what Muslims should believe
- P2.T1.b4 What each passage teaches about how Muslims should act
- P2.T1.b5 Study with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English translation
- A2.14 Hadith 14: Fairness in trade Group (editorial): Community
Learn the material
Learning objectives
Key vocabulary
- samh
- Gentle, generous, reasonable and easy-going.
- ba'a
- To sell.
- ishtara
- To buy.
- iqtada
- To seek or demand repayment of a debt.
- mu'amalat
- Social and financial dealings between people.
Before you start
Answer from memory before opening the answers.
- Which teaching group has this course placed the Hadith in?
- What does Paper 2 Question 1(a) ask you to explain?
- What does part (b) ask you to do differently?
- Which short phrase best carries this Hadith's central instruction?
Check your answers
- Life in the community. This is an editorial teaching group; several Hadiths connect with both groups.
- What the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe or understand.
- How Muslims put the teaching into action through concrete practice.
- رَجُلًا سَمْحًا إِذَا بَاعَ وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى.
The lesson
The prescribed Hadith
رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلًا سَمْحًا إِذَا بَاعَ، وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى، وَإِذَا اقْتَضَى.
May God show mercy to a man who is kindly when he sells, when he buys, and when he demands his money back.
Prescribed Hadith 14 · Appendix 2 · recorded by al-Bukhari or Muslim in their Sahih collections (many by both)
Central teaching
It praises transparent, fair and merciful conduct in selling, buying and seeking repayment while preserving lawful rights.
Instruction → belief → action
| Teaching point | Evidence or focus | Development |
|---|---|---|
| Character matters in commerce | A man who is kindly when he sells and when he buys. | A transaction can be legally valid yet morally harsh; the Hadith praises gracious conduct. |
| Fairness applies on both sides | And when he seeks repayment. | The seller and buyer should avoid deception, pressure and needless argument. |
| Debt collection needs mercy | A man who is kindly when he sells and when he buys. | The creditor may claim a right but should consider genuine hardship and preserve dignity. |
| Gentleness attracts Allah's mercy | And when he seeks repayment. | Everyday financial behaviour becomes a spiritual test. |
Do not copy the translation as your answer
Part (a) rewards the teaching behind the words. Name the instruction, explain the belief or principle it rests on, and develop its scope.
Context and chronology
The Hadith uses three recurring commercial moments, covering both sides of exchange and the later recovery of money.
Kindness does not require accepting fraud or abandoning every debt. It governs the manner, fairness and response to genuine difficulty.
Source discipline
Use the prescribed wording and secure context. Do not invent a narrator, occasion, collection number or historical detail merely to make the answer sound learned.
People, places and events
- The seller, who controls information about the goods.
- The buyer, who must also act honestly and fulfil agreements.
- The creditor and debtor, whose unequal power requires particular care.
Qur'an and Hadith evidence
Learn short phrases that can be placed inside an explanation. English quotation is acceptable; accurate use matters more than length.
رَجُلًا سَمْحًا إِذَا بَاعَ وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى
A man who is kindly when he sells and when he buys.
Gentleness governs both sides of a transaction.
وَإِذَا اقْتَضَى
And when he seeks repayment.
The moral test becomes strongest when enforcing a financial right.
Significance
- Allah observes commercial conduct and rewards mercy within lawful rights.
- Money does not remove the other person's dignity.
- Justice and generosity can coexist in buying, selling and debt recovery.
- Trustworthy markets strengthen the whole community.
These are the beliefs and principles for part (a). The examination asks what the Hadith teaches, not only what its words say.
Significance in practice
For part (b), use setting → action → effect. Specific practice is stronger than saying “Muslims should follow it”.
| Setting | Action | How this applies the Hadith |
|---|---|---|
| Selling | Describe faults honestly and avoid high-pressure tactics. | The buyer makes an informed choice and trust is protected. |
| Buying | Pay the agreed price promptly and do not exploit a desperate seller. | Fairness operates in both directions. |
| Debt | Agree a realistic repayment plan where hardship is genuine. | A lawful right is pursued without cruelty. |
| Online trade | Use clear returns, transparent fees and respectful communication. | Modern commerce reflects the same Prophetic character. |
Connections with other topics
| Source or topic | Connection |
|---|---|
| Hadith 3 | Good speech and generosity should shape commercial communication. |
| Hadith 9 | Lawful earning must be joined to fair dealing. |
| Hadith 15 | Showing mercy in financial power is a direct application of the general mercy principle. |
Common misconceptions
Students often think Mercy means a business cannot make profit.
In fact Lawful profit is permitted; deception, exploitation and needless harshness are the problem.
Students often think A creditor must cancel every debt.
In fact The Hadith praises leniency and dignity; arrangements depend on ability, agreement and justice.
Students often think Only large business transactions matter.
In fact The wording applies to ordinary shops, online sales, personal loans and everyday negotiation.
What the examiner wants
AO1: what you must know
- Know the complete set translation and the meaning of the key Arabic terms.
- State the central instruction accurately: It praises transparent, fair and merciful conduct in selling, buying and seeking repayment while preserving lawful rights.
- Develop at least three underlying beliefs or principles.
- Use a short phrase from the Hadith as evidence rather than copying the whole translation.
- Give balanced coverage across the two Hadiths you choose.
The Hadith teaching answer
Paper 2 Question 1 asks two different things from Paper 1. Part (a) asks what the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe. Part (b) asks how they put it into action — which needs concrete, practical examples.
- The instruction
- Simply and directly: what is the Prophet ﷺ telling Muslims to do?
- The belief behind it
- What this shows about Allah, or about what a believer is.
- The action
- Concrete practice — in the home, the community, and everyday life.
- Today
- A real, specific example a student could actually give.
AO2: what you must understand
Part (b) needs actions. Each example should show who does what, in which setting, and how it expresses the teaching.
Selling
Action: Describe faults honestly and avoid high-pressure tactics. Effect: The buyer makes an informed choice and trust is protected.
Buying
Action: Pay the agreed price promptly and do not exploit a desperate seller. Effect: Fairness operates in both directions.
Debt
Action: Agree a realistic repayment plan where hardship is genuine. Effect: A lawful right is pursued without cruelty.
Online trade
Action: Use clear returns, transparent fees and respectful communication. Effect: Modern commerce reflects the same Prophetic character.
Worked examination example
Weaker response
The Hadith forbids profit and requires every creditor to cancel a debt.
Why it is weak: it distorts or narrows the teaching and gives no developed belief or practical action.
Stronger response
Character matters in commerce: a transaction can be legally valid yet morally harsh; the Hadith praises gracious conduct. Fairness applies on both sides: the seller and buyer should avoid deception, pressure and needless argument. Debt collection needs mercy: the creditor may claim a right but should consider genuine hardship and preserve dignity. Gentleness attracts Allah's mercy: everyday financial behaviour becomes a spiritual test.
Why it is stronger: it identifies several teachings, develops them and remains within the wording's limits.
Practise
Guided practice
- Reduce the Hadith to one accurate instruction.
- Select three belief or principle statements from the teaching table.
- Attach one short phrase from the Hadith to each developed point.
- Turn two applications into setting → action → effect sentences.
- Correct one misconception without using vague language.
Before you write, answer these
- What is the instruction?
- What belief or principle lies behind it?
- Which exact action proves application?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Independent practice
- Write a 90–120 word part (a) explanation without looking.
- Write two separate part (b) examples from different settings.
- Compare this Hadith with Hadith 9 in one similarity and one difference.
- Explain why the first misconception is wrong.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then check it. Every option is explained — including the ones that are wrong — so read the feedback even when you were right.
Write a full answer
Exam-style practice question
Four Hadiths are printed in the examination. Practise choosing the two you can explain and apply most evenly.
Hadiths set for this practice
- Hadith 14 — this lesson
- Hadith 9 — Honest work
- Hadith 15 — Mercy
- Hadith 1 — Sincerity (nasiha)
Exam-style practice question
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
(a) Choose any two of the Hadiths above. Explain what teachings they contain for Muslims to believe. [4] AO1
(b) Explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action. [4] AO2
Written by this course to match the style and demand of the examination. It is not a Cambridge question.
Plan your answer
Before you write, answer these
- Which two Hadiths can I develop equally well?
- For each, what is the instruction and what beliefs lie behind it?
- What short wording can I use as evidence?
- Which two practical actions are specific and realistic?
- Have I divided time and space evenly?
Out of scope here: Copying the translations, giving only personal opinion, or describing general importance without concrete action.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Indicative answer
Show an indicative answer Write yours first — you will learn more
Part (a) — Hadith 14
Character matters in commerce: a transaction can be legally valid yet morally harsh; the Hadith praises gracious conduct. Fairness applies on both sides: the seller and buyer should avoid deception, pressure and needless argument. Debt collection needs mercy: the creditor may claim a right but should consider genuine hardship and preserve dignity. Gentleness attracts Allah's mercy: everyday financial behaviour becomes a spiritual test.
Part (a) — Hadith 9
No one eats better food than that which he eats out of the work of his hand. This teaches the central principle of Honest work and should be developed from its own lesson.
Part (b) — practical action
Selling: Describe faults honestly and avoid high-pressure tactics. The buyer makes an informed choice and trust is protected.
Buying: Pay the agreed price promptly and do not exploit a desperate seller. Fairness operates in both directions.
Other answers are equally valid
- Marks are awarded for what is correct. Nothing is deducted for errors or omissions.
- Credit is given for valid answers that go beyond the syllabus and the mark scheme.
- It is entirely possible to reach the highest level using different information or a different argument from the one shown here.
- Answers are judged against the levels of response, not against a checklist of required points.
Marking guidance reference
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 |
|
| 3 | 3 |
|
| 2 | 2 |
|
| 1 | 1 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The clearest difference between Level 3 and Level 4 is comprehensiveness, development, and quotation. Level 3 "may quote"; Level 4 is "likely to quote".
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3–4 |
|
| 1 | 1–2 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The whole AO2 distinction is discussion versus description. A factually excellent but purely descriptive paragraph cannot reach Level 2.
Note that AO2 has two levels, not four. Some older textbooks and revision guides still show a four-level scale for part (b); that scale is out of date.
Self-assessment checklist reference
Judge your answer as a whole against the levels above, not by counting points. An answer can reach the top band using different material from the indicative answer.
Consolidate
Lesson summary
- It praises transparent, fair and merciful conduct in selling, buying and seeking repayment while preserving lawful rights.
- Allah observes commercial conduct and rewards mercy within lawful rights.
- A strong part (a) answer explains the instruction and the belief behind it rather than copying the translation.
- A strong part (b) answer gives specific, realistic actions and explains how each action applies the teaching.
- Both selected Hadiths are marked together, so balanced treatment is essential.
Retrieval flashcards
Further revision task reference
- Create a one-page card with the Arabic opening, complete translation, one instruction, three beliefs and three actions.
- Retrieve it after 24 hours, one week and one month.
- Complete an eight-minute Question 1 practice pairing it with Hadith 9.
- Replace any vague action with a named setting, action and effect.
Before you write, answer these
- Which belief is secure?
- Which action is too vague?
- Which Arabic phrase can I recall accurately?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Your progress is saved in this browser only. Use My progress to export it if you change device.
Why this would reach the top band
The response distinguishes belief from action, develops the teaching instead of copying it, and gives realistic applications. Other accurate teachings and examples can reach the same level.