Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2289
sahih

Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa:

Once, while we were sitting in the company of Prophet, a dead man was brought. The Prophet (ﷺ) was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Is he in debt?" The people replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and the people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! Lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Is he in debt?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, ''Three Dinars." So, he led the prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and the people said (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ), Please lead his funeral prayer." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He asked, "Is he in debt?" They said, ("Yes! He has to pay) three Diners.', He (refused to pray and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Abu Qatada said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt." So, he led the prayer.

حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الأَكْوَعِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ أُتِيَ بِجَنَازَةٍ، فَقَالُوا صَلِّ عَلَيْهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَهَلْ تَرَكَ شَيْئًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ‏.‏ فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أُتِيَ بِجَنَازَةٍ أُخْرَى، فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، صَلِّ عَلَيْهَا‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ قِيلَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَهَلْ تَرَكَ شَيْئًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا ثَلاَثَةَ دَنَانِيرَ‏.‏ فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ أُتِيَ بِالثَّالِثَةِ، فَقَالُوا صَلِّ عَلَيْهَا‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَرَكَ شَيْئًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَهَلْ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا ثَلاَثَةُ دَنَانِيرَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَعَلَىَّ دَيْنُهُ‏.‏ فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 38, Hadith 3
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 37, Hadith 488 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Debts are the due rights of others (i.e., the creditors) that must be fulfilled. It is incumbent on a debtor to clear his liability for any debts that he owes. Given the gravity of incurring debts and dying before their repayment, the Prophet ﷺ did not lead the funeral prayer for anyone who owed debts and did not leave any wealth (inheritance) to repay such debts. In this hadeeth, Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they were once sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ when three dead men were brought on three different occasions. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased men. He ﷺ asked whether the first dead man owed any debts, and when people replied in the negative, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. When he ﷺ asked the same about the second dead man, people replied that he owed a debt, but left three Dinars, which could cover the due debt, and he ﷺ led the prayer. When the third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer, and he knew that the man owed three Dinars, but did not leave any wealth to repay the debt, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) offered to repay his debt, and then the Prophet ﷺ led his funeral prayer, because the debt was transferred to another person, and thus this dead man’s liability was cleared. The hadeeth highlights the gravity of incurring debts, and that a debtor’s liability is not cleared by his death until it is repaid, by any given way. The hadeeth underlines the Laws of Islam’s emphasis on preserving people’s financial rights..
Related hadiths4
Compare isnād across 4 related chains →