Whenever a dead man in debt was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he would ask, "Has he left anything to repay his debt?" If he was informed that he had left something to repay his debts, he would offer his funeral prayer, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to offer their friend's funeral prayer. When Allah made the Prophet (ﷺ) wealthy through conquests, he said, "I am more rightful than other believers to be the guardian of the believers, so if a Muslim dies while in debt, I am responsible for the repayment of his debt, and whoever leaves wealth (after his death) it will belong to his heirs. "
Exposition of the Hadith on Debt Responsibility
This noble narration from Sahih al-Bukhari (2298) demonstrates the Prophet's profound concern for the financial rights of Muslims and establishes crucial principles regarding debt settlement after death.
Initial Practice: Conditional Funeral Prayer
The Prophet initially inquired whether the deceased had left assets to settle debts before leading the funeral prayer. This emphasized that fulfilling financial obligations takes precedence over funeral rites, teaching Muslims that creditors' rights are divinely protected.
When no assets remained, the Prophet instructed the community to pray instead, showing that while he wouldn't lead prayer for unresolved debts, the deceased still deserved Muslim burial rites through communal responsibility.
Divine Provision and Expanded Responsibility
After Allah enriched the Muslim treasury through conquests, the Prophet declared himself the guardian responsible for deceased Muslims' debts. This establishes the principle that the Islamic state assumes responsibility for citizens' unresolved debts when they die insolvent.
The phrase "I am more rightful than other believers to be the guardian" establishes the Imam's role as the ultimate protector of community welfare, particularly regarding financial justice and debt resolution.
Inheritance and Debt Priority
The clarification that "whoever leaves wealth it will belong to his heirs" confirms that inheritance distribution occurs only after debt settlement. This establishes the fundamental Islamic legal principle: debts must be paid before heirs receive their shares.
This hadith forms the basis for classical Islamic inheritance law where creditors' rights take absolute priority over heirs' claims to the estate.
Contemporary Application
Scholars derive from this that Muslim communities should establish systems to help settle debts of deceased members, reflecting the Prophetic example of collective financial responsibility.
The hadith also encourages Muslims to avoid dying in debt and to settle obligations promptly, recognizing the serious spiritual and legal consequences of unresolved financial commitments.