Chapter 8 of 33 2 min read
8. Debts
8. الديون
If dying individuals have in their possession certain rights belonging to others, they should return them, if they are able to do so, in order to avoid having to pay them back from their good deeds on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (r) warned his followers of this reality as follows: ِﻭلُ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺴ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺭﻨﹾﻪ ﻋﻀِﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺓﹶ ﺭﺭﻴﺭ ﺃَﺒِﻲ ﻫﻥﻋ r : )) ﺔﹲ ِﻷَﺨِﻴﻪِ ﻤِﻥﻅﹾﻠﹶﻤ ﻤ ﻜﹶﺎﻨﹶﺕﹾ ﻟﹶﻪﻥﻤ ﻡﻭ ﺍﻟﹾﻴ ﻤِﻨﹾﻪﻠﱠﻠﹾﻪﺘﹶﺤﺀٍ ﻓﹶﻠﹾﻴ ﺸﹶﻲﻀِﻪِ ﺃَﻭﻋِﺭ لٌ ﻤ ﻋ ﻟﹶﻪ ﻜﹶﺎﻥ ﺇِﻥﻡﻫﻻﹶ ﺩِﺭ ﻭ ﺩِﻴﻨﹶﺎﺭﻜﹸﻭﻥ ﻻﹶ ﻴلَ ﺃَﻥﻗﹶﺒ ﻤِلَ ﺎﺤِﺒِﻪِ ﻓﹶﺤﺌَﺎﺕِ ﺼﻴ ﺴﻨﹶﺎﺕﹲ ﺃُﺨِﺫﹶ ﻤِﻥﺴ ﺤ ﻟﹶﻪ ﺘﹶﻜﹸﻥ ﻟﹶﻡﺇِﻥﺘِﻪِ ﻭﻅﹾﻠﹶﻤﺭِ ﻤ ﺒِﻘﹶﺩ ﺃُﺨِﺫﹶ ﻤِﻨﹾﻪﺎﻟِﺢﺼ ﻪِﻠﹶﻴﻋ (( “Whoever has with him a wrong taken from the honor of his brother Muslim or from his wealth, should return it before the Day of Judgement when neither dirham nor deenaar will be accepted; if he has righteous deeds, it will be taken from them, and if he doesn’t have righteous deeds, it will be taken from his friends bad deeds and put on him.”29 28 Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.7, p.390, no. 575, Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1411 nos. 6480 & 6485, Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, p.884, no. 3102 and Mishkat Al-Masabih, vol.1, p.333. 29 Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.3, p.377, no. 629 and Mishkat Al-Masabih, vol.2, p.1062.
If those that are dying are unable to pay back their debts, they should, at least, have the sincere intention to do so and should inform their relatives about their debts. Either, one of their relatives will repay their debts after their death, or the Prophet (r) will take responsibility for the debts. The Prophet (r) established the basic principle of divine accounting that if a person intends to do a good deed but is unable, they are rewarded by God for their intention. Consequently, he said, )) ،ﻩﺎﺀﻨﹾﻭِﻱ ﻗﹶﻀﺎﺕﹶ ﻻﹶ ﻴ ﻤﻥﻤ، ﻭﻪﻟِﻴ ﻓﹶﺄَﻨﹶﺎ ﻭﻩﺎﺀﻨﹾﻭِﻱ ﻗﹶﻀ ﻴﻭﻫﺎﺕﹶ ﻭ ﻤﻥﻨﹶﺎﻥِ ، ﻓﹶﻤﻴ ﺩﻥﻴﺍﹶﻟﺩ ﻡﻫﻻﹶ ﺩِﺭ ﻭﺌِﺫٍ ﺩِﻴﻨﹶﺎﺭﻤﻭ ﻴﺱﻨﹶﺎﺘِﻪِ، ﻟﹶﻴﺴ ﺤﻥﺅْﺨﹶﺫﹸ ﻤ ﺍﻟﱠﺫِﻱ ﻴﻓﹶﺫﹶﺍﻙ (( “There are two types of debt : whoever dies intending to repay them, I will be responsible for them, and whoever dies with no intention to repay them, will have it taken from his good deeds. There will not be any deenaars or dirhams on that Day.”30