We were reading the collection of Imām al-Tirmidhi (1069) when we came across the following authentic hadith:
‘Abdullāh b. Abi Qatādah (r) narrated from his father that the Prophet (sallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) was brought a deceased man to pray Janāzah for, but the Prophet (sallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said, “Perform the prayer for your companion for he has a debt remaining.”
Abu Qatādah said, “I’ll take care of the debt.”
The Prophet (sallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said, “(You’ll) pay it off?”
[He replied, “(I’ll) pay it off.”] So (the Prophet) performed the prayer for him.
It is well known that the Prophet (sallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) would not personally lead the Janāzah for the one who owed money to people and had not left arrangements to take care of that debt, due to the seriousness of not paying off ones debts and fulfilling ones promises and contracts during one’s lifetime. As a rebuke, he wouldn’t pray the Janāzah but rather got one of the Companions to do so instead. This is in line with the other hasan hadith narrated by Tirmidhi (1079) on the seriousness of not paying off one’s debts, where the Prophet (sallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said, “The Believer’s soul is suspended by his debt until it is paid for him.”
After reading this narration, Shaykh Kehlan told us that a friend had informed him that recently in Egypt, there was a Janāzah announced in one of the mosques there. When all the people had eventually gathered and the family of the deceased were lined up at the front, the Imam announced (on the family’s request) if there were any people who had been owed any money by the deceased then please see the family for they will be happy to take care of it afterwards.
There was silence and then suddenly there was some commotion at the back and some kind of argument, and then a man shouted out, “I will not wait until afterwards, for I have waited long enough! This man owed me x thousands, and I refuse to wait any more. I insist on payment now!”
The attendees and even the family who were waiting to pray were shocked by the argumentation and pleaded with the man to remain silent so that they could pray and send off their companion in peace; the man refused and started to quote the above narrations warning the congregation of the consequences for the deceased, as well as showing proof to the family of the debt.
The argumentation continued and the family of the deceased were distraught for they didn’t have any money with them at that moment. They asked the Imam for help, who decided that the quickest and most peaceful solution was to try and get a collection there and then from the attendees to pray over and bury the deceased in peace. The attendees were only too happy to oblige, shocked by the proceedings, and x thousands were collected immediately, and the man was paid off with the immense gratitude of the family, and the prayer was completed for the deceased.
Isn’t that just so ajeeb eh?
The End.
Except…that when the prayer finished and the people were gathering around the coffin to assess the route out of the Masjid to the graveyard, the Imam looked around to ask the close family members to lift the coffin but he couldn’t see them and thus thought they must be busy greeting their visitors; he thus asked some of the regulars to lift the coffin and take it out. But when they lifted the coffin it was surprisingly light and they put it down to tell the Imam who opened the lid to look inside only to find it empty!
And thus we have another classic case of fraud by the Muslims, the world leaders in all things weird and wonderful – no sign of the family, no sign of the one who was “owed the money” and definitely no sign of a dead bloke. This is a true story by the way.
Now that’s ajeeb.
The only thing to add from my side is that I heard that the Pakistanis and the Nigerians were arguing over the originator of this classic scam. At time of going to press, the Pakistanis were boasting that they were the founders and that their version was far more sophisticated: they used a dummy body weighted with heavy stones in order to give more time for the “family” to get away before the scam was uncovered at the grave itself. The Nigerians were silenced. The Egyptians refused to comment.
June 1, 2008 at 3:37 pm
That’s just messed up on so many levels. Alhamdulillah, the congregation will still be rewarded according to their intention, insha’Allah. But the worst part is that if this was to happen again, but for real, people will be less inclined to help due to their suspicions of it being a con. I already feel that way now when strangers approach me on the street claiming that they lost their wallet & they need £20 for a ticket home or something. This happened to me first in the hospital where I studied. I later realised I had been conned when the same guy approached me a few months later with the exact same story! He knew I was Muslim cos of my hijab & opened with the salaams, but failed to remember me. Stupidly I didn’t embarrass him with this fact & just refused to pay up. I think I actually felt sorry for him on some level, because he was degrading himself through his lies.
June 1, 2008 at 7:45 pm
SubhanAllah – They must have been great at acting.
Yes its quite common to be approached by people who have some kind of sob story or another – especially when you use a lot of public transport.
Sometimes its easier just to give them some money just for the sake of getting them away from you!
June 2, 2008 at 12:18 am
I have a question regarding this hadith. If you have been forced by situation to take out a student loan and you die before paying it off, would that mean your soul is in limbo until someone pays it off?
The student loan company does state that if you die the loan is cancelled but I just wanted to know.
Jzk
June 2, 2008 at 10:00 am
I used to give money to these people whenever they used to stop me on the street or on the underground. They always opened with the same tired lines: they were Muslim, they had lost/forgotten their wallets, they needed to get back to Reading, Cardiff, Luton, or wherever.
Then one day it dawned upon me that I was setting a precedent by allowing these fraudsters to think that Muslims were easy targets, that we were naïve, gullible and easy to manipulate.
A Muslim is never stung from the same hole twice. So thereafter, whenever I was approached, I would give them directions to the nearest police station and tell them to enquire there. Sometimes I would offer to buy them food but would never give them any money.
Generally, I think that the best practice is to ignore them and carry on walking – especially when they are in mid-sentence.
June 2, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Assalamualaikum
Take them to the nearest masjid,
Pray whatever the next salaat is with them,
Get them to check your recitation of the latest Surat you’ve learnt,
Go through 5-10 pages of Riyad-us-saliheen with them,
Walk them to the train station,
And do a runner, or buy them the ticket (whichever you feel more comfortable with).
Sisters, on no account talk to these or any other strange men. I mean it. It’s not safe. Even if they look normal.
June 2, 2008 at 1:12 pm
we sometimes get sisters in hijaab walking up and down the street asking for money…they have their babies with them. i usually give them food rather than money…..muslims sisters are always going to be an easier target to beg from…they stand out as muslim more than the average muslim man and ofcourse our compassionate nature….interestingly the same guy who appraoched me as a student with some tale of having missed his last coach home etc etc needed money for the train , was still working the streets ten years later spinning the same line…first time round i guided him to the masjid but he wasnt interested, second time round i just ignored him–so just to warn students in manchester..he works around the precinct centre oxford road and he’s been doing this for YEARS…
on the other hand alhamdulillah there are people out there selling the big issue as an alternative to begging…and its always worth giving them money…
June 2, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Assalamu alaikum AE,
Seeing that my texts seem to get lost on the way from Pak to UK, I thought I’d drop by the site.
You’re audience may be interested in the recent translation of “The Hidden Manners in the Prayer” of ibn al-Hazamiyyeen that we’ve posted at (the recently revived) Mulim Thinking blog (http://muslimthinking.blogspot.com). Of course the major credit goes to Sh. K for this translation.
Tell us what you think.
June 2, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Then one day it dawned upon me that I was setting a precedent by allowing these fraudsters to think that Muslims were easy targets…
But do you really KNOW that these people are fraudsters? Call me naïve, but what if they are genuine? Then wouldn’t we be at fault for judging their intention and accusing them with no evidence?
AE, is it not safer to give – and we will insha Allah still be rewarded for our intention?
June 2, 2008 at 6:14 pm
“But do you really KNOW that these people are fraudsters?”
You can never know for 100%. But that’s with almost anything. Ultimately, you observe, judge by what is apparent, establish your proof and move on. Most of the time it is the way that they approach you, or their cover story, or that they always insist that you give them hard cash over food, purchasing a ticket, etc.
June 3, 2008 at 8:54 am
Assalamu alaikum Brothers and Sisters
Al-Furqan Mosque in Rusholme is in urgent need of charity donations in order to secure their premises. This mosque serves approximately 500 muslims at present.
Please check out their website on http://www.alfurqancentre.org.uk and donate whatever you can for the sake of Allah.
Al-Furqan have until October to raise these funds, therefore please pass this message on to as many people as possible.
Jazak Allah kahyr.
Fi amanillah
June 3, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Wa ‘alaykum salam wa rahmatullah
I have a question regarding this hadith. If you have been forced by situation to take out a student loan and you die before paying it off, would that mean your soul is in limbo until someone pays it off?
Clearly the Muslim must fulfill all his/her contracts during his/her lifetime. This is an absolute obligation.
But if one was to die owing money to the S.Loans company, these hadith would not apply to him because the loan is indeed cancelled upon death.
And Allah knows best.
What is more pressing is the permissibility of student loans, or rather, what is the position on inflation-linked “interest-free” loans? This is a very deep issue and one which there is a huge amount of discussion over and little clear-cut results. This is one of those top ten issues I’d like to really seriously look into soon insha’Allah.
Seeing that my texts seem to get lost on the way from Pak to UK, I thought I’d drop by the site.
Ya ahlan wa sahlan Sheikh Abdullah. Nice to hear from and nice to hear that some of the stuff from the good ole’ days is finding its way on to the net, barakallahu feek.
AE, is it not safer to give – and we will insha Allah still be rewarded for our intention?
It is definitely safer to give of course, but at the same time as mentioned above, the Believer isn’t slapped twice on the same cheek (far more eloquently put above no doubt). These people do prey on our tendency to give sadaqah so we must be careful. Yet, the asl is to give and ask for the reward from Allah. And often, even if the person isn’t completely bona fide i.e. a criminal or a drunkard, some good can come out of that charity as mentioned in the well known hadith in Bukhari:
Abu Hurairah (r) said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said, “A man (from amongst the people before you) said: `Indeed! I will give in charity.’ So he took his Sadaqah out and placed it in a thief’s hand. In the morning the people were talking (about this incident) and saying: `Sadaqah was given to a thief last night.’ The man said: `O Allah! Praise be to You. I have given Sadaqah to a thief. Indeed, I will give in charity!’ So he took his Sadaqah out and he placed it in a prostitute’s hand. In the morning the people were talking (about this incident) and saying: `Sadaqah was given to a prostitute last night.’ On hearing this, the man said: `Praise be to You, O Allah! I gave Sadaqah to a prostitute. Indeed, I will give in charity!’ So he took his Sadaqah out and placed it in a rich man’s hand. In the morning the people were talking (about this incident) and saying: `Sadaqah was given to a rich man last night.’ The man said: `O Allah! Praise be to You (for helping me) give charity to a thief, a prostitute and a rich man.’ Then he had a dream in which he was told that his Sadaqah to the thief might result in his refraining from his theft, his Sadaqah to the prostitute might help her abstain from her immorality, and his Sadaqah to the rich man might help him pay heed and spend from what Allah had bestowed upon him.”
Also, there are many statements from the Salaf on how they’d be delighted to see anyone come to ask them for money as giving sadaqah is a sure-fire way of effacing our sins.
Yet, again, one must be careful to distinguish between those crooks who are specifically targetting Muslims in intentional fraud.
It is difficult. It is confusing. Sorry I can’t clear up the balance required any further.
Al-Furqan Mosque in Rusholme is in urgent need of charity donations in order to secure their premises. This mosque serves approximately 500 muslims at present.
Welcome dear brother/sister. Al Furqan masjid does a great job and should be completely supported by all those who care for the state of Muslims and their security in Manchester.
You have woefully underestimated the number of people who used the masjid though! 500?! That might be the regular Musalleen but what of all the thousands of students who use it, those shopping on Wilmslow Rd etc?! And what of its key role in developing and nurturing the important Somali community who have taught the criminals of Moss Side a lesson or two and are cleaning up one of the most feared areas in England.
Al Furqan must be supported so as to not let the Somali community slip into the same crime bubble as the Jamaican community before it did.
Please give generously at http://www.alfurqancentre.org.uk and let everyone else know.
June 4, 2008 at 12:26 am
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu,
Just wanted to add my support to Al Furqan.
MashaAllaah that masjid is one of the most welcoming masjids I have ever been to. I am not from that community, but have attended on several occassions for talks. The sisters there go out of their way to welcome me and my children, they come and greet with the salaams and hugs mashaAllaah, they really are hospitable and welcoming. May Allaah greatly reward them and may the masjid be strengthened and be a source of good for the community, ameen.
June 4, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Abu Esa re: student loans
Should one not pay it back since if you do not work for 7 years, the loan is cancelled. Is it better to just repent?
jzk
June 5, 2008 at 10:06 am
Assalamu alaikum Abu Eesa
Jazak Allah Khayr for your support of Al-Furqan Mosque. No doubt more than 500 people use this mosque- it serves a huge community, as well as all the shoppers and workers in the area and has a lot of potential for the future. May Allah help us in securing it and make it a wonderful asset for the community.
Fi amanillah
June 6, 2008 at 2:25 am
Please do support AlFurqan Masjid. The masjid do a lot of good things for children and the youth.
I worked there teaching the children of some of the brothers that run the masjid. Well I have to say I have never met such well mannered children so respectful and helpful.
They used to fight over who would carry my books, bag and even my umbrella for me – I had to have a child carry each so that they all got a chance to help! MashaAllah.
June 11, 2008 at 12:36 am
Makki Masjid host Shaykh Walid Baysouni
in delivering a talk titled -
‘Conquer Your Fear’
Fri 13th June, 8pm
The shaykh has been described as awe inspiring and has studied under some of the great shuyookh of our times including shaykh Bin Baz.
It is rare to have such esteemed persons in our presence, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend such an honoured gathering, insha’Allah.
For those of you who will be attending the World of the Unseen this weekend, then heres a treat sneak preview of the Shaykh for you!