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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
كتاب الجنائزBook of Funerals
بَابُ الْمُبَادَرَةِ إِلَى تَجْهِيزِ الْمَيِّتِ وَقَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِChapter on hastening to prepare the deceased and paying his debts
Hadith 3041
اُردوEn
عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ الْأَطْوَلِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ أَخَاهُ مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَتَرَكَ عِيَالًا فَأَرَدْتُّ أَنْ أُنْفِقَهَا عَلَى عِيَالِهِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنَّ أَخَاكَ مَحْبُوسٌ بِدَيْنِهِ فَاقْضِ عَنْهُ))، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَقَدْ أَدَّيْتُ إِلَّا دِينَارَيْنِ، ادَّعَتْهُمَا امْرَأَةٌ وَلَيْسَ لَهَا بَيِّنَةٌ، قَالَ: ((فَأَعْطِهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُحِقَّةٌ))
Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Atwal (may Allah be pleased with him) says: His brother passed away, leaving behind three hundred dirhams, and he also had family and dependents. I wanted to spend this amount on them. But the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Your brother has been held back because of debt, so you should pay off his debt on his behalf. I said: O Messenger of Allah! I have paid all his debt, but two dinars remain; a woman has made a claim about them, but she has no proof. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Give them to her as well, because she is speaking the truth.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … It is possible that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to know of the truthfulness of this woman through revelation. From the authentic ahadith of this chapter, it is understood that the first effort should be made to pay off the deceased’s debt; if he himself has not left behind any wealth, then his tribe should fulfill this responsibility, otherwise, other general Muslims. If that too is not possible, then his debt will be paid from the public treasury (bayt al-mal), because after the series of conquests, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself used to pay the debts of deceased indebted Muslims.
Another very important point—and it is even frightening to write this, lest those who take loans misuse it—is that if a person has a firm intention to repay his debt, and then he practically strives for it and does not let any opportunity to pay installments at the earliest slip by, yet he dies without repaying the debt, and neither his heirs nor the bayt al-mal pay it, then Allah ta‘ala will create means for its repayment and will preserve his good deeds. This issue is established by several ahadith, such as the means of forgiveness being provided for the killer of one hundred people. However, it is certain that such a person will be answerable before Allah ta‘ala, so he should reflect on whether he has any valid excuse.
Regarding hastening the funeral prayer, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Hasten with the funeral; for if it was righteous, then you are sending it towards good, and if it was otherwise, then it is evil which you are removing from your necks.” (Bukhari: 1315, Muslim: 50 or 944)
Another very important point—and it is even frightening to write this, lest those who take loans misuse it—is that if a person has a firm intention to repay his debt, and then he practically strives for it and does not let any opportunity to pay installments at the earliest slip by, yet he dies without repaying the debt, and neither his heirs nor the bayt al-mal pay it, then Allah ta‘ala will create means for its repayment and will preserve his good deeds. This issue is established by several ahadith, such as the means of forgiveness being provided for the killer of one hundred people. However, it is certain that such a person will be answerable before Allah ta‘ala, so he should reflect on whether he has any valid excuse.
Regarding hastening the funeral prayer, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Hasten with the funeral; for if it was righteous, then you are sending it towards good, and if it was otherwise, then it is evil which you are removing from your necks.” (Bukhari: 1315, Muslim: 50 or 944)
