HADITH THREATS OF RELIGION TO PAY DEBT
By: Ahmad Syahrin Thoriq
The following are among the hadiths that threaten people who are reluctant to pay their debts, especially those who deliberately do not want to pay them.
1. His charity will be used to pay off his debts in the afterlife.
مَنْ مَاتَ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ ، فَلَيْسَ ثَمَّ دِيْنَارٌ وَلَا دِرْهَمٌ ، وَلٰكِنَّهَا الْـحَسَنَُِ وَسَِ
"Whoever dies while still having a debt of one dinar or one dirham, the debt will be repaid with kindness because there (in the afterlife) there will be no more dinars and dirhams." (Narrated by Ibn Majah)
2. His soul hangs until the debt is repaid.
نَفْسُ الْمُؤمِنِ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِدَيْنِهِ حَتَّى يُقْضَى عَنْهُ
"The soul of a believer is still dependent on his debt until he pays it off." (Narrated by Tirmidhi)
About the meaning of depending on the soul due to debt Al 'Iraqiy explained, "His business is still hanging, meaning we cannot say whether he is safe or miserable until the debt is paid off or not."[1]
3. In the afterlife his status changed to a thief.
ﺃَﻳُense ﺭَﺟُﻞﻞ ﻳَﺪَﻳَّﻦُ ﺩَﻳsy ﻭَﻫُﻮَ ﻣُﺠْﻤ ْﻤ ﺠْ ﻻَ ﻳ ﻳ ﻳ ﻳ ﻳ ﻳ ﻳ//
"Anyone who is in debt and then intends not to pay it off, then he will meet Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) with the status of a thief." (Narrated by Ibn Majah)
4. Make him a liar.
فَقَالَ له قَائِلٌ: ما أكْثَرَ ما تَسْتient
"Someone asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'How often do you protect yourself from debt.' So he ﷺ replied: 'If the debtor says, he will often lie. If he makes a promise, he will break it.” (Narrated by Bukhari)
5 . Will ruin someone's life.
ومَن أخَذَ يُرِيدُ إتْلافَها أتْلَفَهُ Allah
"Whoever takes human property with the intention of destroying it, Allah will also destroy him." (Narrated by Bukhari)
Scholars explain that among the meanings of 'taking with the intention of destroying it' is someone who is in debt and is reluctant to pay it.[2]
6. Rasulullah did not want to pray for people who have debts.
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يُصَلِّي عَلَى رَجُلٍ مَاتَ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ فَأُتِيَ بِمَيِّتٍ فَقَالَ أَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ قَالُوا نَعَمْ دِينَارَانِ قَالَ صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not pray for men who had debts. Once upon a time a corpse was brought before him.
He ﷺ asked about the condition of the deceased who was going to pray: "Does he have debts?" They replied, "There are three dinars." He said, "Pray this friend of yours ..." (HR. Bukhari)
7. Not forgiven even though martyrdom.
يُغْفَرُ لِلشَّهِيدِ كُلُّ ذَنْبٍ إلَّا الدَّيْنَ
"All the sins of the martyr will be forgiven except the debt." (HR. Muslim)
وَالَّذِى نَفْسِى بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً قُتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أُحْيِىَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ مَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يُقْضَى عَنْهُ دَيْنُهُ
"By those in whose hands my soul is, if a man were killed in the way of Allah, then revived, then he was killed again twice, and he still has a debt, then he will not enter paradise until the debt is paid off." )HR. Ahmad)
Imam al Munawi said: "All sins related to the rights of other people, both in matters of blood, property, honor, all of these are not forgiven by shahadah or martyrdom."[3]
8. One form of injustice
ﻣَﻄْﻞُ ﺍﻟْﻐَﻨِﻰِّ ﻇُﻠْﻢٌ
"Delay (debt payment) from someone who can afford it is an injustice." (Narrated by Bukhari)
Sayidina Umar bin Abdul Aziz said: "Indeed, debts that are (not immediately paid) are humiliation during the day and misery at night.
Stay away from it, surely your dignity and pride will be safe, and there will still be glory for you among humans as long as you live.”[4]
9. The right to be reproached and others may be informed of fraud
لَىُّ الْوَاجِدِ يُحِلُّ عِرْضَهُ وَعُقُوبَتَهُ
"Delaying paying debts for people who are able to justify honor (self-esteem) and giving punishment to them." (Narrated by Ahmad)
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The scholars say: "Who has credit has the right to criticize or give a bad character to those who owe him."[5]So a person who is in debt and deliberately does not want to pay his debt, may disclose his crime so that there are no further victims or maybe if he feels ashamed he wants to pay off his debts.
May Allah keep us away from debt bondage and make it easy to pay it.
Wallahu a'lam.
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[1] Tuhfah Al Ahwadzi (4/164)
[2] Mirqatul Mafatih (5/1957)
[3] Faidh al Qadir (6/463)
[4] Umar, Ma'alim Al Islah wa At Tajdid (2/71)
[5] An NIhayah (3/209)