Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother

Am writing on behalf of my husband-who had prepared this question but during transmission- we got booted, thus i am not sure wether message was recved at your end-However - his question was in the context of-if a person owes another funds by any virtue-business or otherwise, and dies before settling that amount, what is the punishment therafter and where is this `surah/ayat` in the Holy Quran-Shall appreciate if you could kindly advise.

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Answer:

Settlements of debts after death punishment

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 58: Allah doth command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man that ye judge with justice: Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! for Allah is He who heareth and seeth all things.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 12:In what your wives leave your share is a half if they leave no child; but if they leave a child ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what ye leave their share is a fourth if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in question has left neither ascendants nor descendants but has left a brother or a sister each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two they share in a third; after payment of legacies and debts; so that no loss is caused (to anyone). Thus is it ordained by Allah and Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "A believer's soul remains in suspense (cannot enter Paradise) until all his debts are paid off."

(Related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi.)

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2929 Narrated by Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Jahsh

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “By Him in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, if a man were to be killed in Allah's path then come to life, be killed again in Allah's path then come to life, and be killed once more in Allah's path then come to life owing a debt, he would not enter Paradise till his debt was paid."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.585 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts by a wealthy person is injustice."

The payment of debt is a right that one has to deliver to the person who gave the debt, and it must be settled. If the person who took the debt dies, then the first thing that will be paid out of his wealth will be the debts, and only after the payment of the debts will his wealth be distributed among his heirs.

If one takes on a debt and tries his best to repay the debt, but dies before settling his debt and has left behind no wealth, Allah Subhanah will pay the debt on his behalf on the Day of Judgement.

Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (saws) said: "If anyone takes other people's money with the intention to repay it and then he or she should die without settling the debt, Allah will pay the debt on his behalf. And if anyone takes money or property (of others) with the intention of destroying it, Allah will destroy him."

(Related by Bukhari)

But if one takes on a debt and has no intention or bothers to pay it back, and dies before settling his debt and has left no wealth behind, he will have to settle the debt on the Day of Judgement in the ‘currency’ of the Hereafter! And the currency of the Hereafter is deeds: thus he will have to pay his good deeds to the person he owed the debt to, and if he does not have enough good deeds to pay, he will take on the evil deeds of the person he owed the debt to, and will be thrown in the Hell Fire as a result!

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6251 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Do you know who is a ‘muflis’?” They (the Companions of the Prophet) said: “A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth.” The Prophet (saws) said: “The ‘muflis’ (ardently poor) of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, and fasts, and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others, and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others, and shed the blood of others, and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then the sins of the one who suffered at his hands would be entered in (his account), and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan