Chapter on Debt and Loan

"Seek refuge with Allah (swt) from the burden of debt, the dominance of men, and the ruin of the unmarried."

Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Beware of debt, for it is a disgrace to religion."

Hadith.3681 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Beware of debt, for it is worry at night and humiliation during the day."

Hadith.3682 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Beware of debt, for it is humiliation during the day, worry at night, accountability in this world, and accountability in the Hereafter."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "It has been mentioned to us that a man from the Ansar died while owing two dinars as debt, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not pray over him and said: 'Pray over your…

"Whoever seeks sustenance through lawful means and is overcome, let him borrow in the name of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family)."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as)-"May I be your ransom! Can a man borrow and perform Hajj?" Imam (as) said: "Yes." I said: "Can he borrow and get married?" Imam (as) said: "Yes, for he awaits the provision of Allah (swt)…

I said to Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (as), "I wish to remain in Makkah and Madinah, but I have a debt upon me. What do you advise?" Imam (as) said: "Return and pay off your debt, and make sure you meet Allah (swt), the Mighty…

Hadith.3687 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever has a debt and intends to repay it, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, appoints two angels to assist him in fulfilling his trust. But if his intention…

"The first drop of the martyr's blood is an expiation for his sins-except for debt, for its expiation is its repayment."

"Any man who goes to another man and borrows money from him while intending not to repay it, then he is a thief and a transgressor."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "A man among us has something with which he can sustain himself, but he is in debt. Should he feed his family with it until Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, provides him with ease so he…

"Whoever withholds the right of a Muslim while he is able to give it to him, out of fear that if he lets go of that right he might become poor, then Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, is more capable of making him poor…

"Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, is with the debtor until he repays his debt, as long as he did not acquire it through what is forbidden to him."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "I owe a debt to orphans, and I fear that if I sell my estate, I will be left with nothing." Imam (as) said: "Do not sell your estate; rather, give some and keep some."

Hadith.3694 - The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "There is no debtor whose creditor leaves him satisfied except that the creatures of the earth and the fish in the seas pray for him. And there is no…

"If he makes him swear an oath, then he has no right to take anything from him after the oath. And if he imprisons him, he has no right to take anything from him. But if he leaves him and does not make him swear, then…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who owed me money but denied it and swore an oath. Then, some of his money came into my possession. Should I take it in place of what he took from me and swear an oath as he did?…

I said to him, "A man owes me a right but denies it, and then he entrusts me with some money. Is it permissible for me to take my due from it?" Imam (as) said: "No, that would be betrayal."

"Whoever entrusts you with a trust, then return it to him. And whoever betrays you, do not betray him."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "A man had money owed to him by another man, but the debtor denied it and took it away from him. Later, the creditor gained possession of an equivalent amount belonging to the debtor. Can he…

O Allah (swt), I did not take what I took from him as an act of betrayal or injustice, but I took it in place of my rightful due."

Hadith.3701 - And in another narration: "If he makes him swear regarding what he took from him, then it is permissible for him to swear if he says this statement."

Hadith.3702 - The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever swears by Allah (swt) should speak the truth, and whoever is sworn to by Allah (swt) should be satisfied. And whoever is not satisfied is not…

I said to Abu Al-Hasan (as), "I deal with some people, and sometimes they send to me and take a bondwoman or an animal from me, and they take it away. Then their wealth later comes into my possession. Can I take from it…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "I gave my brother Ja'far some money, and he gives me from it what I spend, perform Hajj with, and give in charity. I asked the people around us, and they said that this is invalid and not…

Hadith.3705 - Sama'ah asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who stays with another man to whom he owes a debt. Is it permissible for him to eat from his food? Imam (as) said: "Yes, he may eat from his food for three days,…

Hadith.3706 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said regarding the saying of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted: "There is no good in much of their secret talk except in one who enjoins charity, or kindness, or…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "Abdullah ibn Abi Ya'fur instructed me to ask you-when we borrow bread from our neighbors, we sometimes return it smaller or larger in size. Is this permissible?" Imam (as) said: "We borrow…

Hadith.3708 - Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "Whoever gives a loan until ease of repayment, his wealth will be considered in Zakat, and the angels will continue praying for him until he receives it…

"If a man has a debt and then dies, the debt becomes due."

Hadith.3710 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "When a deceased person dies, what he owes and what is owed to him become due."

"If the creditors are satisfied with him, then the deceased is absolved of liability."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "Abdur-Rahman ibn Sayabah has a debt owed to him by a man who has died. We spoke to him about forgiving it, but he refused." Imam (as) said: "Woe to him! Does he not know that for every…

A man came to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and said: "I have earned wealth, but I was not careful in seeking it, whether it was lawful or unlawful. Now I wish to repent, but I do not know what portion of it is lawful and…

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) ruled concerning a man who died and left heirs. One of the heirs acknowledged a debt against his father. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) ruled that it would be binding upon him in his share,…

What is this?" The man replied: "This is your money that I owe you." He asked: "Did you inherit it?" The man said: "No." He asked: "Was it gifted to you?" The man said: "No." He asked: "Is it the price of a property you…

Hadith.3716 - Yunus ibn Abdul Rahman wrote to Al-Ridha (as), saying: "I had ten dirhams owed to me by a man, but the ruler invalidated those dirhams and introduced new dirhams that are higher in value than the previous…