Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2781
sahih

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah Al-Ansari:

My father was martyred on the day (of the Ghazwa) of Uhud and left six daughters and some debts to be paid. When the time of plucking the date-fruits came, I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! you know that my father was martyred on Uhud's day and owed much debt, and I wish that the creditors would see you." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go and collect the various kinds of dates and place them separately in heaps"' I did accordingly and called him. On seeing him, the creditors started claiming their rights pressingly at that time. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw how they behaved, he went round the biggest heap for three times and sat over it and said, "Call your companions (i.e. the creditors)." Then he kept on measuring and giving them, till Allah cleared all my father's debts. By Allah, it would have pleased me that Allah would clear the debts of my father even though I had not taken a single date to my sisters. But by Allah, all the heaps were complete, (as they were) and I looked at the heap where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting and noticed as if not a single date had been taken thereof.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَابِقٍ، أَوِ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْهُ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ فِرَاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيُّ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ اسْتُشْهِدَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، وَتَرَكَ سِتَّ بَنَاتٍ، وَتَرَكَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنًا، فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ جِدَادُ النَّخْلِ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ وَالِدِي اسْتُشْهِدَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَتَرَكَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنًا كَثِيرًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَرَاكَ الْغُرَمَاءُ قَالَ ‏"‏ اذْهَبْ فَبَيْدِرْ كُلَّ تَمْرٍ عَلَى نَاحِيَتِهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَفَعَلْتُ ثُمَّ دَعَوْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا نَظَرُوا إِلَيْهِ أُغْرُوا بِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَا يَصْنَعُونَ أَطَافَ حَوْلَ أَعْظَمِهَا بَيْدَرًا ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ ادْعُ أَصْحَابَكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَمَا زَالَ يَكِيلُ لَهُمْ حَتَّى أَدَّى اللَّهُ أَمَانَةَ وَالِدِي، وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ رَاضٍ أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ اللَّهُ أَمَانَةَ وَالِدِي وَلاَ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَخَوَاتِي بِتَمْرَةٍ، فَسَلِمَ وَاللَّهِ الْبَيَادِرُ كُلُّهَا حَتَّى أَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْبَيْدَرِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْقُصْ تَمْرَةً وَاحِدَةً‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ أُغْرُوا بِي يَعْنِي هِيجُوا بِي فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 55, Hadith 44
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 51, Hadith 40 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Incurring debts is a serious matter given its gravity; it is incumbent on debtors to repay their debts. If a debtor dies before the repayment, his guardian and heirs are required to pay off his debts from his estate. In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that his father ‘Abdullah ibn Haraam (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyredat the Battle of Uhud, in 3 A.H., and left six young daughters and some debts to be paid. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) promised the repayment of these debts when the date-fruits should be picked. When the time of harvesting dates was due, he (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Allah's Messengerﷺ and asked him to be present when the creditors, who were Jews, should claim their debts, in the hope they would see him and write off part of the debt for his sake. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree stated that the Prophet ﷺ asked the creditors to reduce the debts, but they refused. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid to him, "Go and collect the various kinds of dates and place them separately in heaps,” meaning arrange each kind in a separate heap. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) did as commanded and called the Prophet ﷺ. On seeing him, the creditors started claiming their rights pressingly. When the Prophet ﷺ saw how they behaved, he ﷺ went round the biggest heap three times and sat over it, to be blessed, and said, "Call your companions (i.e., the creditors).” Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) called for the creditors and the Prophet ﷺ kept on measuring and giving them from the very heap over which he ﷺ was sitting, till Allah, Exalted is He, cleared all his father's debts. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he would have been pleased that Allah, Exalted is He, cleared the debts of his late father, even if he could not take a single date to his sisters. However, the dates were blessed by the Prophet ﷺ, and all the heaps were complete, (as if they were untouched). Even after repaying all the creditors, the heap remained the same,as if not a single date had been taken! The hadeeth highlights a sign of hisﷺ prophethood. It urges the repayment of debts owed by the deceased. It is also deduced from it that the unpaid debts owed by one’s dead parents must be repaid by their children. .
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