Every debt must be repaid
“Every soul is liable for his debts whether living or deceased.”
Debt is a binding obligation that follows a person into the grave, so Muslims must borrow only out of genuine necessity, document debts in writing, and repay them promptly to be free of them in this life and the next.
The khutbah in 10 steps
- Opening praise, testimony of faith, and counsel to taqwa as the best provision
- Every debtor remains liable for debts whether living or deceased until they are paid or forgiven
- Allah commands documenting debts in writing with witnesses (the longest verse of the Quran)
- The gravity of debt: even a martyr's sins are all forgiven except debt
- Debt as shackles: it humiliates, isolates, and can push a person to lie and break promises
- The Prophet's frequent dua seeking refuge from sin and debt, and the hadith that the indebted man lies and breaks promises
- Warnings against delaying repayment and leaving debts as a burden for heirs
- The story of Abu Qatada paying two dinars for a deceased man, cooling his skin in the grave
- Perfect justice on the Day of Resurrection: wrongs settled through transfer of good and evil deeds
- Closing supplications for relief of debtors and the distressed, then the prayer
In the khateeb's words
“And undoubtedly, every soul is liable for his debts Whether living or deceased He is liable for his debts Personally Or someone else pays it for him Or his creditor Release him from the obligations”
“One should not take debt If there is no necessity Or there is no genuine need Because you never know You can be today Free from some expenses And tomorrow Things changes And you fail To pay back Your debts”
“So refusing to pay the debt for the disease that means you are delivering him to the punishment of the grave.”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah was all about debt and how seriously Islam takes it. The imam explained that a person's responsibility for their debts does not end at death, the Prophet taught that a believer's soul stays suspended until the debt is paid. Allah commands us in the Quran to write down our debts and have witnesses, and the Prophet said that even a martyr's sins are forgiven except debt. He told a touching story of a companion who paid two dinars on behalf of a man who had died, and the Prophet said this cooled the man's suffering in the grave. The lesson for our family is simple: borrow only when truly needed, repay quickly, and never leave debts behind for others to carry.
- If you borrowed something from a friend, what would you do this week to make sure you return it?
- Why do you think writing down a loan protects both people, not just the lender?
- How could our family help someone who passed away still owing money?
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