at our happiness and sense of security. It destroys marriages, and if
the debt is between family or friends then it can ruin those
relationships. In some countries, inability to pay your debt can even
you put in prison.
I feel obligated to mention that part of the reason so many people are
carrying so much debt is our addiction to the material lifestyle. We
are bombarded with messages and advertisements telling us we need to
buy this and own that. It gets to the point where we measure our
status in life (and that of others) by what we own, or worse, by how
much we spend. If we spend a huge sum of money on a lavish wedding,
then we are "honored" in society. If not, we feel shamed. Since our
incomes do not match our desires, we go into debt.
This thinking and lifestyle is completely contrary to what Islam
teaches us, and to the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all). Even when they
became rulers of the world, they continued to live simple and humble
lifestyles, because they understood what really matters in life.
So the first step for us is to readjust our priorities, and to realize
that what matters is our relationship with Allah. Beyond that, the
important things in life are our family relationships – loving our
spouses and children and spending time with them, worshiping with
them, supporting them. Then our friendships, and doing some good in
the world, creating something meaningful, and being an agent of
compassion in the lives of those around you.
Dua Against Debt
If you have done whatever you can to avoid debt, and still you find
yourself burdened with debts, try this dua from Fortress of the
Muslim. Repeat it many times every day:
Dua for relief from debt, in Arabic
Allaahummak-finee bihalaalika 'an haraamika wa 'aghninee bifadhlika
'amman siwaaka.
"O Allah, suffice me with what You have allowed instead of what You
have forbidden , and make me independent of all others besides You."
(Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/560. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/180.)
This dua against debt is really brilliant, because the dua contains
within itself the solution to the problem. "Suffice me with what you
have allowed." In other words, let the halal be enough for me. Don't
let me get myself into debt because of haram mortgage loans or
excessive material desire, or out-of-control consumer spending. Let me
be satisfied with a simple, halal life, so that I don't get into debt.
If you repeat this often enough it becomes a part of your thinking and
awareness, and you modify your own behavior, which leads to: "make me
independent of all others besides You." You become your own man or
woman, not owing money to anyone, independent, relying only on Allah.
I'm not saying the dua is just an affirmation, I'm saying it works on
both levels, as an affirmation and as a prayer to Allah to help you
achieve that affirmation. It's a subtle and amazing dua.
Three Excellent Dua's Against Debt:
(note that #2 is the same as the one above)
1) "Oh Allah, I take refuge in You…"
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (ra):
One day the Messenger of Allah (saw) entered the mosque. He saw there
a man from the Ansar (a resident of Madinah) called Abu Umamah and
said to him: "What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the
mosque when there is no time of prayer?" Abu Umamah said: "I am
entangled in sorrow and debts." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) replied:
"Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will
remove your sorrow, and settle your debts?" Abu Umamah said: "Yes,
Messenger of Allah." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) said: "Say in the
morning and evening:Allahumma inni 'auzu bika min alhamma wal 'huzn,
wal 'ajzi wal kasali wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhala'iddini wa
'galabatir rajaal."(See here for the arabic text).
'O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and
laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from
being overpowered by men.'
Abu Umamah said: "When I did that Allah removed my distress and
settled my debt." [Abu Dawood]
2) "O Allah, grant me enough…"
Ali radi Allahu `anhu said that a slave, who had made a contract with
his master to pay for his freedom, came to him and said, "I am unable
to fulfil my contract, so help me." He said, "Shall I not teach you
some words which Allah's Messenger (ra) taught me, and which even if
you had a debt as large as a mountain Allah would pay it for you?":
Allahumma akfini bihala lika an haramika wa aghnini bi fadhlika am-man siwak.
"O Allah, grant me enough of what You make lawful that I may dispense
of with what You make unlawful, and make me independent, by Your
bounty, of other than You."[At-Tirmidhi]
3) "O Allah, Sovereign of all…"
The Prophet (saw) said to Muadh radi Allahu `anhu, "Should I not teach
you a supplication which, when used to implore Allah, Allah shall pay
your debt, even it be as huge as Mount Uhud? He then mentioned:
Allahumma Maalik al-mulki tu'til-mulka man tasha' u wa tanzi'ul mulka
mimman tasha', wa tu'izzu man tasha' u wa tudhilu man tasha', bi
yadika al-khayr, innaka 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer, Rahmaan-id-dunya
wa'l-aakhirah wa raheemahuma, tu'teeyahuma man tasha' wa tamna'
minhuma man tasha', irhamni rahmatan taghnini biha 'an rahmati man
siwaak.
"O Allah, Sovereign of all, You give dominion to whomsoever You will
and You take dominion away from whomsoever You will, You exalt
whomsoever You will and You bring low whomsoever You will. In Your
hand is all goodness and You are able to do all things. Most Merciful
and Most compassionate in this world and in the Hereafter, You give
them to whomsoever You will and withhold them from whomsoever You
will. Bestow mercy upon Me in such a manner that I have no need of the
mercy of anyone but You."[Tabarani]
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