Question:
What is the du’a to be free from debt?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
The jurists defined debt according to Shara’ as ‘entitling the ownership of something to others with the condition of returning it back without having any additional charges’. See: Mustafa al-Khin, Mustafa al-Bugha, Ali Syarbaji, al-Fiqh al-Manhaji.chap. 6. pg. 101.
Coming back to the question above, pertaining to supplications to be free from any debt, there are several hadiths which are good to be practiced for each person who is burdened with debt.
Here, we bring several hadiths on the supplication to be eased in settling debts. Among them are:
- It is narrated from Abu Said al-Khudri RA that he said:
One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah. He said: What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the mosque when there is no time of prayer? He said: I am entangled in cares and debts, Messenger of Allah. He replied: Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will remove your care, and settle your debt? He said: Why not, Messenger of Allah? He said: Say in the morning and evening:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
"O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from care and grief, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity and slackness, I seek refuge in Thee from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek in Thee from being overcome by debt and being put in subjection by men."
He said: When I did that Allah removed my care and settled my debt
Sunan Abu Dawud (353)
- 'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reported:
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to supplicate in prayer thus:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ " . قَالَتْ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَائِلٌ مَا أَكْثَرَ مَا تَسْتَعِيذُ مِنَ الْمَغْرَمِ
" O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from the torment of the grave, and I seek refuge with Thee from the trial of the Masih al-Dajjal (Antichrist) and I seek refuge with Thee from the trial of life and death. O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from sin and debt."
Sahih al-Bukhari (832) and Sahih Muslim (129)
Imam al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said that the meaning of the phrase maghram is dayn which is debt. It is said that what is meant by al-Maghram is whatever is indebted whether it is among the permitted or not, but then the debtor is unable to pay. See: Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. Fath al-Bari. Chap. 2. pg. 371.
- Suhail reported that Abu Salih used to command us (in these words):
When any one of you intends to go to sleep, he should lie on the bed on his right side and then say:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبَّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَىْءٌ وَأَنْتَ الآخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَىْءٌ وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَىْءٌ وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَىْءٌ اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْرِ
"O Allah. the Lord of the Heavens and the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of evervthina, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the datestone (or fruit kernal), the Revealer of Torah and Injil (Bible) and Criterion (the Holy Qur'an), I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of every- thing Thou art to sieze by the forelock (Thou hast perfect control over it). O Allah, Thou art the First, there is naught before Thee, and Thou art the Last and there is naught after Thee, and Thou art Evident and there is nothing above Thee, and Thou art Innermost and there is nothing beyond Thee. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want."
Sahih Muslim (2713)
Imam al-Nawawi Rahimahullah said: “What is meant by debt is an obligation upon Allah SWT and upon His servants as a whole. It includes all sorts of obligation.” (See: Abu Zakaria Muhyiddin Yahya bin Syarf al-Nawawi. Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim. chap. 17. pg. 36). Beirut. Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi.
- Ali [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated that a Mukatib came to him and said: “Indeed I am not capable of my Kitabah so aid me.” He said: “Should I not teach you words that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me? If you had a debt upon you similar to the mountain of Sir, Allah would fulfil it for you. He said: ‘Say:
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلاَلِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ
O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful against Your prohibited, and make me independent of all those besides You
Jami’ al-Tirmidhi. This hadith is hassan sahih.
May this brief sharing give us understanding and Feeling of assurance in Allah SWT. Ameen.