In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate "May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You" Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Duas for Relief and Protection against Debt by Asma bint Shameem Few weeks back we talked about how Islaam considers being in debt as a matter which, although allowed, is not to be encouraged or taken lightly. Rather, it is a serious matter and one should take loans in cases of necessity, only. Islaam encourages us to live simple lives, without being slaves to our spontaneous whims and desires. There are a number of Ahaadeeth recorded from the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) where he discouraged the taking of loans and being in debt, while he encouraged the one already in debt to pay it back handsomely and as soon as possible. And there are several Duas that he taught the Sahaabah to seek protection from it and ask Allaah to relieve them of it. Some of these are as follows: 1) The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to say in his prayer: Allaahumma inni a o'odhi bika min al-ma'tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt)." (Bukhaari and Muslim). 2) The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said, "When one of you wants to sleep, lie down on his right side and say: "Allaahumma Rabb al-samawaati wa’l-ard wa Rabb al-‘arsh il-‘azeem, Rabbaanaa wa Rabba kulli shay’in, Faaliq al-habb wa’l-nawa wa munzil al-Tawraati wa’l-Injeeli wa’l-Furqaan, a’oodhu bika min sharri kulli shay’in anta aakhidhun bi naasiyatihi. Allaahumma anta al-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay’un, wa anta al-aakhir fa laysa ba’daka shay’un, wa anta al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka shay’un wa anta al-baatin fa laysa doonaka shay’un. Iqdi ‘annaa al-dayna wa aghninaa min al-faqri (O Allaah, Lord of the seven heavens and the exalted Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things, splitter of the seed and the date-stone, Revealer of the Tawraat and the Injeel and the Furqaan [Quraan], I seek refuge in You from the evil of all things You shall seize by the forelock [have total mastery over]. O Allaah, You are the First so there is nothing before You, and You are the Last so there is nothing after You. You are al-Zaahir [the greatest and highest] so there is nothing above You, and You are al-Baatin [aware of the subtlest secrets] so there is nothing closer than You. Settle our debt for us and spare us from poverty)." [Muslim] 3) It was narrated from Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a mukaatib (slave who had entered into a contract of manumission) came to him and said: "I am unable to pay off my manumission; help me." He said: "Shall I not tell you some words which the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) taught me? And if you have debt like the mountain of Seer, Allaah will pay it off for you. He said: ‘Say: Allaahumma akfini bi halaalika ‘an haraamika wa aghnini bi fadlika ‘amman siwaaka (O Allaah, suffice me with what You have permitted so that that I have no need of that which You have forbidden, and make me independent of means by Your bounty so that I have no need of anyone besides You).’" (Tirmidhi- hasan) 4) The Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Shall I not teach you some words which, if you say them, Allaah will take away your worries and pay off your debts?" "Say, morning and evening, ‘"Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min al-hammi wa’l-hazani, wa a’oodhi bika min al-‘ajzi wa’l-kasali, wa a’oodhu bika min al-jubni wa’l-bukhli, wa a’oodhi bika min ghalabat il-dayn wa qahri al-rijaal (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, and I seek refuge with You from incapacity and laziness, and I seek refuge with You from cowardice and miserliness, and I seek refuge with You from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men)." (above mentioned duaas are in arabic fonts which have been removed by me as yahoo groups do not support 'arabic fonts'. Those who wish to know the above duaas in arabic, kindly mail me your request) ________________________________
Debt is a Very Serious Matter, Indeed By Asma bint Shameem In this materialistic world where the focus has become running after the whims and fulfilling whatsoever the heart desires, we tend to lose focus on our real goals and begin taking certain matters that are forbidden or discouraged in Islaam, too lightly. And the matter of taking loans and being in debt is definitely one of them. And I am NOT talking about taking an “interest based” loan. That is HARAAM for sure. The kind of loan I am talking about is one without interest……one that does NOT involve riba….. The kind that is allowed, yet discouraged in Islaam. Many people have a very casual approach to being in debt and take out loans, not for some urgent need but, because they want to expand their businesses or keep up with others in buying new cars or furniture or other temporary luxuries of this life. Taking loans and being in debt is a GRAVE…..GRAVE matter. Islam takes the matter of debt very seriously and warns against it and urges the Muslim to avoid it as much as possible. And yet, we don’t see it as such. 1) The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to seek protection from it The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to say in his prayer: “Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt).” Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: “When a man gets into debt, he speak and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it.” (Bukhaari and Muslim). 2) The person in debt will not enter Paradise until the debt is paid off ! Muhammad ibn Jahsh said: ‘We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: “Subhaan-Allaah! What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” We remained silent and were afraid. The following morning I asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” (Hasan -al-Nasaa’i). 3) Unnecessary loans is a cause of PUNISHMENT and the WRATH OF ALLAAH ! The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Whoever asks people for money when he has what is sufficient for him is only asking for more of the embers of Hell.” They asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is sufficient so that he does not have to ask for more?” He said: “Having enough to eat lunch and dinner.” (Abu Dawud- Saheeh). And he said: “Whoever asks the people for money when he has what is sufficient for him will come on the Day of Judgment with scratches and lacerations on his face.” (Ahmad). 4) The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) didn’t pray his Janazah The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for someone who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qataadah (a Sahaabi) promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day he said, “I have paid it off.” The Prophet said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.” (Hasan-Ahmad) 5) The soul of the one in debt is suspended The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “The soul of the believer is held hostage by his debt in his grave until it is paid off.” Tirmidhi, Explaining this hadeeth al-Suyooti said: “It (soul) is detained and kept from reaching its noble destination. Al-‘Iraaqi said: “No judgment is passed as to whether it will be saved or doomed until it is determined whether his debt will be paid off or not.” 5) The one in debt is a prisoner The debtor is a prisoner, as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Your companion is being detained by his debt.” (hasan-Abu Dawood). Statements of Sahaabah regarding debt Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: Beware of debt, for it starts with worry and it ends with war. (Maalik in al-Muwatta). And Ibn ‘Umar said: “O Humraan, fear Allaah and do not die in debt, lest it be taken from your good deeds when there will be no dinars and no dirhams.” When is taking a loan permissible? The Ulama warn us about how difficult the issue of debt is, and that it should not be undertaken except in cases of necessity. Based on this, there are three conditions for debt to be permissible: 1- The borrower should be determined to repay it. 2- It should be known or thought most likely that he is able to repay it, 3- It should be for something that is permissible according to Shareeah. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: “The debt for which a person will be kept out of Paradise – and Allaah knows best – is that for which he left behind enough to pay it off but he did not leave instructions to that effect, or he was able to pay it off but did not do so, or he took the loan for some unlawful or extravagant matter and died without having paid it off. As for the one who took a loan for something lawful because he was poor, and he died without leaving behind anything to pay it off, Allaah will not keep him from Paradise because of it, insha Allaah.” So take a loan only when absolutely necessary and if you are in a situation of debt right now, try your utmost best to pay off your debts as soon as possible. Strive hard to pay it off, put your trust in Allaah, and pray to Him to make it easy for you to pay off your debt. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:“The one who takes people’s wealth intending to pay it back, Allaah will pay it back for him, and the one who takes it intending to destroy it, Allaah will destroy him.” (Bukhaari). As-Salaam Walekum Adil K Bombay Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveIslam_LiveIslam/ What Seperates our Group from the rest ? Only Authentic Information about Islam is passed backed by Quran or Hadith's. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
