Tracking and Investigating the Reported Hadiths and Narrations in the Comparison between Providing Loan and Giving Alms

An Answer to a Question on the Two Narrated Hadiths about Providing Loans and Giving Alms by Sirajj Eddin Al-Bulgani (804 A.H.)

Abstract

Many religious texts have been reported about the virtues of good deeds, favoring some of them over others, for reasons apparent in some cases and hidden in others. There might be narrated evidence favoring an act of worship to another and narrated evidence proving the opposite. The meaning on the surface might lead to ambiguity and leave some people wondering which one is better and more likely the most important. An example of such ambiguity is the two hadiths comparing between providing loans, and giving alms in charity. Sheikh al-Islam, Sirajj Eddin Al-Bulgani, the most famous Muslim scholar of his time, was asked about these two hadiths and he provided a most satisfying answer as he explained the two hadiths, and traced them back to their original source; he clarified the ambiguity about them and gave a satisfying answer. Indeed, Al-Balgani's answer was unique in this field, as it showed his ability in both the science of riwayah (textual study of hadiths) and the science of dirayah (the science that investigates the classification of hadiths).

The study includes an investigation of the text of his answer, with reference to the hadiths and narrations reported in the comparison between giving loans and alms in charity and what scholars said about this topic.