21. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar and ‘Abd ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah who has said the following:

“The Messenger of Allah has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘I have made the world a borrowing (place) for My servants. Whoever gives Me a loan I will return it ten times over up to seven hundred times over, and more if I so wish. Those who do not lend Me a loan I will take something forcibly from them. If they then exercise patience I will give three such rewards of which if I gave only one to My angels they would all become happy with Me.’ The narrator has said that Abu ‘Abdillah recited the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy: ‘. . . those who when suffering hardship say, “We are the servants of Allah and to Him we shall all return,” (2:156) it is they who will receive blessing, [one of the three rewards], and mercy from Allah, [the second of the three rewards], and who have recieved the right guidance (2:157) [the third of the three rewards]. Abu ‘Abd Allah then said, ‘This is when Allah takes something from one forcibly.’”