23/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1619a — Debt, Heirs, and Responsibility
Whoever Leaves Behind Wealth, It Is For His Heirs
Hadith About Debt After Death and the Rights of Heirs
Sahih Muslim : 1619a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1619a
وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَفْوَانَ الأُمَوِيُّ، عَنْ يُونُسَ الأَيْلِيِّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ، شِهَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ الْمَيِّتِ عَلَيْهِ الدَّيْنُ فَيَسْأَلُ " هَلْ تَرَكَ لِدَيْنِهِ مِنْ قَضَاءٍ " . فَإِنْ حُدِّثَ أَنَّهُ تَرَكَ وَفَاءً صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَإِلاَّ قَالَ " صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ " . فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْفُتُوحَ قَالَ " أَنَا أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَمَنْ تُوُفِّيَ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ فَعَلَىَّ قَضَاؤُهُ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَالاً فَهُوَ لِوَرَثَتِهِ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
When the body of a dead person having burden of debt upon him was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he would ask whether he had left property enough to clear off his debt, and if the property left had been sufficient for that (purpose), he observed funeral prayer for him, otherwise he said (to his companions): You observe prayer for your companion. But when Allah opened the gateways of victory for him, he said: I am nearer to the believers than themselves, so if anyone dies leaving a debt, its payment is my responsibility, and if anyone leaves a property, it goes to his heirs.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1619aIn-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 18USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 11, Hadith 3944
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1619a
This hadith about debt after death explains how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم dealt with a deceased person who had unpaid debt. When a body was brought, he would ask whether the person had left enough property to pay the debt. If there was enough, he performed the funeral prayer. If not, he told the companions to pray for their companion. Later, when Allah opened the gateways of victory for him, he said that he was nearer to the believers than themselves. He then said that if someone died leaving debt, its payment was his responsibility, and if someone left property, it belonged to the heirs. This narration connects debt responsibility, funeral prayer, and inheritance rights in a clear way.
What we learn from this hadith
- Debt was treated as a serious matter after death.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether the deceased left property to repay debt.
- Property left by the deceased belongs to the heirs.
- The narration shows care for believers who died with unpaid debt.
