What Should I Do If My Debts Increase?

Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

What should I do if my debts increase?

Answer

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

Circumstances

A person goes through various circumstances in their life, such as poverty and wealth, health and sickness, activity and laziness—these are inevitable. However, a wise person, knowing this, does not surrender to nor accept their bad situation.

Instead, they should take precautions to avoid falling into such traps and hasten to escape from bad circumstances by first turning to and relying on Allah (Most High) and secondly through good planning and financial prudence.

Debt

Debt is a burden at night and a humiliation during the day, as the Arabs say. It is something from which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) sought refuge, as mentioned in several hadiths.

One such hadith is narrated by ‘Anas (Allah be pleased with him), where he said: I served the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) when he would stop to rest, and I heard him frequently say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sorrow, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, and from the burden of debt and the domination of men.” [Bukhari]

In another narration, it is reported from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) entered the mosque one day and found a man from the Ansar named Abu Umama sitting there. He said, “O Umama, why do I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time for prayer?”

He replied, “Worries have overtaken me, and debts, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) then said, “Shall I not teach you some words that, if you say them, Allah will relieve your worries and settle your debts?”

Abu Umama replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) then instructed him: “Say in the morning and in the evening: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sorrow, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, and from the burden of debt and the domination of men.’”

Abu Umama said, “I did that, and Allah relieved my worries and settled my debts.” [Abu Dawud]

Furthermore, the greatest means of overcoming debts is through seeking refuge in and earnestly supplicating to Allah (Most High). Some of the most prominent methods include:

Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfar)

Allah (Most High) says: “Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, (for) He is truly Most Forgiving. He will shower you with abundant rain, supply you with wealth and children, and give you gardens as well as rivers.” [Quran, 71:10-12]

Sending Blessings upon the Prophet (Allah Bless Him and Give Him Peace)

Sending salutations upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) relieves debt and removes anxiety.

Supplicating with the Greatest Name of Allah (al-Ism al-A‘zam)

Utilizing the name of Allah, which is believed to be the most powerful in supplication, to seek help.

Reciting the Dua of Distress

Regularly invoking the supplication for relief from distress and hardship.

Repeating the Prophetic Dua Mentioned in the Previous Hadith of Abu Umama

Recite the dua for relief from worry and debt as mentioned earlier.

Other Supplications

Among these is what was narrated by Tabarani from Abu Wa’il: A man came to ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) and said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I am unable to repay my debt, so help me.”

‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) responded:
“Shall I not teach you some words that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught me? Even if you had a debt as heavy as a mountain, Allah would repay it on your behalf. Say: ‘O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful provisions over the unlawful, and enrich me by Your grace over all besides You.’” [Tabarani, al-Du‘a’]

It is crucial in matters of debt that the borrower intends to repay the debt and return it to its rightful owner. The borrowing should not be for anything impermissible or disliked. Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Whoever takes the money of people with the intention of repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it with the intention of wasting it, Allah will destroy him.” [Bukhari]

Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Allah is with the debtor until he repays his debt, as long as it is not something that Allah dislikes.” [Ibn Maja]

Seeking Assistance

Moreover, if the situation becomes dire for the debtor and the waiting period becomes prolonged, there is no harm in seeking assistance from someone of good character who can help. There is also no shame in taking from Zakat funds, as it falls under the category of “those in debt” (Gharimin) mentioned in the Quran.

A wise and prudent person should not burden themselves with unnecessary debt, except in cases of absolute necessity. They should manage their affairs wisely, balance their income and expenses, and reduce spending on luxuries and desires. For when the soul becomes indulgent and is not restrained, it leads one to excessive pleasures, ultimately leading to ruin.

We ask Allah to protect us from the evil of our souls and to cover us all with His beautiful cover in this life and the Hereafter. We seek refuge in Allah from the burden of debt and the oppression of men. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib