In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Islam calls towards simplicity in life, so we can reduce distractions and live a purposeful and successful life. If we don't simplify, life gets more complex, confusing and most likely stressful.
Simplicity is all about essence. And purpose. It means to simplify as much as possible — but not more — to reduce it to it’s essence.
But how do you know what is essential for you? And what is your purpose in life? We don't have to go far for the answer. Allah has told us:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)
If we don't simply our life then inevitably we will fall into debt in order to meet all the extraneous and unnecessary things in life.
The debtor is a prisoner, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Your companion is being detained by his debt.” [Abu Dawood]
Islam does not make debt haram but it does look down upon it and warns us against it, so much so that even the martyr, who has the door to Paradise immediately open for him, would not enter Paradise until his debt is paid off.
Muhammad ibn Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) 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 Allah, 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 Allah, 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.” [al-Nasaa’i]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qataadah (may Allah 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 (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.” [Musnad Ahmad]
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Fath al-Baari (4/547): This hadeeth indicates how difficult the issue of debt is, and that it should not be undertaken except in cases of necessity.
It was narrated from Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever dies free from three things – arrogance, cheating and debt – will enter Paradise.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The soul of the believer is suspended because of his debt until it is paid off.” [at-Tirmidhi]
Al-Mubaarakfoori said in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi (4/164): The words “the soul of the believer is suspended” – al-Suyooti said: i.e., it is detained and kept from reaching its noble destination. Al-‘Iraaqi said: i.e., no judgement is passed as to whether it will be saved or doomed until it is determined whether his debt will be paid off or not. End quote.
It was also narrated that many of the salaf warned against debt:
It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Beware of debt, for it starts with worry and it ends with war." [Maalik in al-Muwatta’]
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Humraan, fear Allah and do not die in debt, lest it be taken from your good deeds when there will be no dinars and no dirhams."
It was narrated from ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say in his prayer: "Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram" (O Allah, 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.” [al-Bukhari & Muslim]
These stern warnings about debt only came because of the negative consequences to which it leads both on an individual level and on a community level.
With regard to the personal level, al-Qurtubi said:
Our scholars said: It is a disgrace and a humiliation because it preoccupies the mind and makes one worried about paying it off, and makes one feel humiliated before the lender when meeting him, and feeling that he is doing one a favor when accepting a delay in payment. Perhaps he may promise himself that he will pay it off then break that promise, or speak to the lender and lie to him, or swear an oath to him then break it, and so on. Moreover, he may die without having paid off the debt so he will be held hostage because of it, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The soul of the believer is held hostage by his debt in his grave until it is paid off.” [at-Tirmidhi]. All of that undermines one’s religious commitment.
If you are in debt, seek the help of Allah in paying off debts. Here are some du'as you can make.
1 – It was narrated that Suhayl said: Abu Saalih used to tell us, when one of us wanted to sleep, to 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 Allah, 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 [Qur’an], I seek refuge in You from the evil of all things You shall seize by the forelock [have total mastery over]. O Allah, 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]
2 – It was narrated from ‘Ali (may Allah 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 Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught me? And if you have debt like the mountain of Seer, Allah will pay it off for you. He said: ‘Say:
Allahumma akfini bi halaalika ‘an haraamika wa aghnini bi fadlika ‘amman siwaaka
O Allah, 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.
[at-Tirmidhi]
3 – It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) entered the mosque and saw an Ansari man whose name was Abu Umaamah. He said: “O Abu Umaamah, why do I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time for prayer? He said: Worries and debts, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Shall I not teach you some words which, if you say them, Allah will take away your worries and pay off your debts?” He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said:
“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 Allah, 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).”
He said; I did that, and Allah took away my worry and paid off my debt.
[Abu Dawood]
To live a simple life is not an easy task in today’s world of constant distraction and information overload. It needs some work and self-discipline on your side. Living and staying within our means is an essential step to simplify our lives and to live a more purposeful and successful life.
May Allah help us simply our lives and protect us from debts and getting into debts. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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