Al-Kāfi, vol. 5, no. 286

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has said the following: “Once, a man came to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), to complain before him (the Imam) against one of his companions. In a little while the defendant came in and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked, ‘Why does so and so complain against you?’ He replied, ‘It is because I asked him for payment of what he owes to me.’ He (the narrator) has said that abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then sat straight with anger and said, ‘It seems as if when you demand for payment of what others owe, you do not consider it maltreating him. Consider what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said in His book, ‘They fear dreadful accounting.’ (13:21) Do you think they fear that Allah will do injustice to them? No, by Allah, that is not the case. They did not fear anything but demand for payment of what is owed to them and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has called it (demand for payment) dreadful accounting, thus one who demands payment has maltreated him (debtor).”’