02/11/2021
Narrated by Samurah:
The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) addressed us and said: “Is here any one of such and such tribe present?” But no one replied. He (ﷺ) again asked: “Is here any one of such and such tribe present?” But no one replied. He (ﷺ) again asked: Is here any one of such and such tribe? Then a man stood and said: “I am (here), Messenger of Allāh.” He (ﷺ) said: “What prevented you from replying the first two times? I wish to tell you something good.
Your companion has been detained (from entering Paradise) on account of his debt. Then I saw him that he paid off all his debt on his behalf and there remained no one to demand from him anything.”
[Graded: Hasan (by Al-Albāni in Sunan Abi Dawūd 3341]
The Prophet (ﷺ) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qatādah (may Allāh be pleased with him) promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day and said, I have paid it off, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.”
[Musnad Ahmad (3/629); classed as hasan by an-Nawawi in al-Khalāsah (2/931) and by Ibn Muflih in al-Adāb al-Shar’iyyah (1/104)]
Al-Hāfiz Ibn Hajar (may Allāh have mercy on him) said,
“This hadeeth indicates how difficult the issue of debt is, and that it should not be undertaken except in cases of necessity.”
[Fath al-Bāri (4/547)]
Umar bin al-Khattāb (may Allāh be pleased with him) said,
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالدَّيْنَ فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَهُ هَمٌّ وَآخِرَهُ حَرْبٌ
“Beware of debts! Their beginning is a worry and their end is destitution (war).”
[Muwatta Malik: Book 37, Hadith 8]
