A man was owed a debt by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he spoke harshly to him. The companions of the Prophet ﷺ were about to deal with him, but the Prophet ﷺ said, "Leave him, for the one who has a right is entitled to speak. Buy him a camel of the same age and give it to him."They said, "We can only find one of a better age than his."He said, "Then buy it and give it to him, for the best of you, or among the best of you, is the one who repays his debts in the best manner."
كان لرجل على رسول الله ﷺ حق، فأغلظ له، فهم به أصحاب النبي ﷺ، فقال النبي ﷺ: إن لصاحب الحق مقالا اشتروا له سنا فأعطوه إياه. فقالوا: إنا لا نجد إلا سنا هو خير من سنه. قال: فاشتروه فأعطوه إياه فإن من خيركم- أو خيركم- أحسنكم قضاء.
Bukhari narrated it in the chapter on Wakalah (2306), and Muslim in the chapter on Musaqah (1601:120), both of them through the route of Shuba, from Salama bin Kuhayl, from Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman, from Abu Hurairah, who said, and he related it. The wording given is that of Muslim, while Bukhari's version begins with, "Leave him, for the one owed a right has a claim to speak..."