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Seriousness of Debt in Islaam  Email

Debt is one of the most serious issues in Islaam.  The scholars have warned the Muslims about debt's very negative consequences.  The leader of the believers, 'Umar bin al-Khattab, said:

ÅöíøóÇßõãú æóÇáÏøóíúäó ÝóÅöäøó Ãóæøóáóåõ åóãøñ æóÂÎöÑóåõ ÍóÑúÈñ 

"Beware of debt for it starts with worry, and it ends with war."
Narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta'.

Also, Imaam al-Qurtubi said:

 ÞÇá ÚáãÇÄäÇ : æÅäãÇ ßÇä ÔíäÇ æãÐáÉ áãÇ Ýíå ãä ÔÛá ÇáÞáÈ æÇáÈÇá ¡ æÇáåã ÇááÇÒã Ýí ÞÖÇÆå ¡ æÇáÊÐáá ááÛÑíã ÚäÏ áÞÇÆå ¡ æÊÍãá ãäÊå ÈÇáÊÃÎíÑ Åáì Ííä ÃæÇäå ¡ æÑÈãÇ íÚÏ ãä äÝÓå ÇáÞÖÇÁ ÝíÎáÝ ¡ Ãæ íÍÏË ÇáÛÑíã ÈÓÈÈå ÝíßÐÈ ¡ Ãæ íÍáÝ áå ÝíÍäË ¡ Åáì ÛíÑ Ðáß ¡ æÃíÖÇ ÝÑÈãÇ ÞÏ ãÇÊ æáã íÞÖ ÇáÏíä ÝíÑÊåä Èå ¡ ßãÇ ÞÇá Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã : ( äÓãÉ ÇáãÄãä ãÑÊåäÉ Ýí ÞÈÑå ÈÏíäå ÍÊì íÞÖì Úäå ) ÑæÇå ÇáÊÑãÐí 1078 æßá åÐå ÇáÃÓÈÇÈ ãÔÇÆä Ýí ÇáÏíä ÊÐåÈ ÌãÇáå æÊäÞÕ ßãÇáå

 Our scholars said, "It [debt] is a disgrace and a humiliation because it preoccupies the mind
and makes one worried about paying it off,  and makes one feel humiliated before the lender when meeting him, and feeling that he is doing one a favor when accepting a delay in payment.  Perhaps he [the borrower] may promise himself that he will pay it off then break that promise, or speak to the lender and lie to him, or swear an oath to him then break it, and so on.  Moreover, he may die without having paid off the debt so he will be held hostage because of it, as the Prophet said, 'The soul of the believer is held hostage by his debt in his grave until it is paid off.'  Narrated by at-Tirmidhi hadeeth no. 1078.  All of that undermines one's religious commitments."

The lender is obligated in Islaam to show kindness to the borrower until he can repay him.  However, this ruling applies to the borrower who makes a sincere effort and strives hard to repay.  It does not cover those that live lavish, expensive, and extravagant lifestyles like Majdy Mohsin Wardah.  For more information on the nature of Majdy Wardah's lifestyle, see the "Extravagant Lifestyle" section of STOPMajdyWardah.com

Majdy Wardah (ãÌÏí  æÑÏÉ) has more extensive Islaamic knowledge than us and knows how serious it is to incur any debt, much less massive debts.  What is more, he knows the serious nature of leaving debt unpaid without a cause.  This section lists some of the evidences from the Sunnah concerning debts. 

Concerning the Nature of the Person that Gets into Debt:

ÝÚä ÚÇÆÔÉ ÑÖí Çááå ÚäåÇ Ãä ÇáäÈí Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ßÇä íÏÚæ Ýí ÇáÕáÇÉ : ( Çááøóåõãøó Åöäøöí ÃóÚõæÐõ Èößó ãöäó ÇáúãóÃúËóãö æóÇáúãóÛúÑóãö . ÝóÞóÇáó áóåõ ÞóÇÆöáñ : ãóÇ ÃóßúËóÑó ãóÇ ÊóÓúÊóÚöíÐõ ãöäó ÇáúãóÛúÑóãö ¿! ÝóÞóÇáó : Åöäøó ÇáÑøóÌõáó ÅöÐóÇ ÛóÑöãó [Ãí : ÇÓÊÏÇä] ÍóÏøóËó ÝóßóÐóÈó ¡ æóæóÚóÏó ÝóÃóÎúáóÝó ) ÑæÇå ÇáÈÎÇÑí æãÓáã

'Aisha narrates that Allaah's Messenger used to invoke Allaah in the prayer saying
"Allaahumma inni a'udhu bika min adhabil-qabri, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal,
wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-mahya wa fitnatil-mamati. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-ma thami
wal-maghrami
.  O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and from the
afflictions of the False Messiah and from the afflictions of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with
You from the sins and from being in debt)." Somebody said to him, "Why do you so frequently seek
refuge with Allaah from being in debt?" The Prophet replied, "A person in debt tells lies
whenever he speaks, and breaks promises whenever he makes (them)."
Reported by al-Bukhaari (vol. 1 hadeeth no. 795) and Muslim (hadeeth no. 1218).

Concerning the Soul of the Person that Dies with Unpaid Debts:

Úóäú ãõÍóãøóÏö Èúäö ÌóÍúÔò ÑÖí Çááå Úäå ÞóÇáó : ( ßõäøóÇ ÌõáõæÓðÇ ÚöäúÏó ÑóÓõæáö Çááøóåö Õóáøóì Çááøóåõ Úóáóíúåö æóÓóáøóãó ÝóÑóÝóÚó ÑóÃúÓóåõ Åöáóì ÇáÓøóãóÇÁö ¡ Ëõãøó æóÖóÚó ÑóÇÍóÊóåõ Úóáóì ÌóÈúåóÊöåö Ëõãøó ÞóÇáó : ÓõÈúÍóÇäó Çááøóåö ! ãóÇÐóÇ äõÒøöáó ãöäó ÇáÊøóÔúÏöíÏö ¿ ÝóÓóßóÊúäóÇ æóÝóÒöÚúäóÇ ¡ ÝóáóãøóÇ ßóÇäó ãöäó ÇáúÛóÏö ÓóÃóáúÊõåõ : íóÇ ÑóÓõæáó Çááøóåö ¡ ãóÇ åóÐóÇ ÇáÊøóÔúÏöíÏõ ÇáøóÐöí äõÒøöáó ¿ ÝóÞóÇáó : æóÇáøóÐöí äóÝúÓöí ÈöíóÏöåö ! áóæú Ãóäøó ÑóÌõáÇ ÞõÊöáó Ýöí ÓóÈöíáö Çááøóåö Ëõãøó ÃõÍúíöíó ¡ Ëõãøó ÞõÊöáó ¡ Ëõãøó ÃõÍúíöíó ¡ Ëõãøó ÞõÊöáó ¡ æóÚóáóíúåö Ïóíúäñ ãóÇ ÏóÎóáó ÇáúÌóäøóÉó ÍóÊøóì íõÞúÖóì Úóäúåõ Ïóíúäõåõ ) ÍÓäå ÇáÃáÈÇäí Ýí ÕÍíÍ ÇáäÓÇÆí

Muhammad bin Jahsh narrated, "We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: 'Subhan Allaah (Glorified is Allaah above all imperfections)!  What a strict issue has been revealed to me!'  We remained silent and were afraid.  The following morning I asked him, 'O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?'  He said, 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.'"
Reported in Sunan an-Nasaa'i (hadeeth no. 4605), and al-Albaanee classified it as hasan (good) in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i (hadeeth no. 4367). 

Concerning Offering the Funeral Prayer for the One with Unpaid Debts:

æÞÏ ÊÑß ÇáäÈí Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ÇáÕáÇÉ Úáì ãä ãÇÊ æÚáíå ÏíäÇÑÇä ¡ ÍÊì ÊßÝá ÈÓÏÇÏåãÇ ÃÈæ ÞÊÇÏÉ ÑÖí Çááå Úäå ¡ ÝáãÇ ÑÂå ãä ÇáÛÏ æÞÇá áå ÞÏ ÞÖíÊåÇ ¡ ÞÇá Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã : ( ÇáúÂäó ÈóÑóÏóÊú Úóáóíúåö ÌöáúÏõåõ ) ãÓäÏ ÃÍãÏ (3/629) æÍÓäå Çáäææí Ýí "ÇáÎáÇÕÉ" (2/931) æÇÈä ãÝáÍ Ýí "ÇáÂÏÇÈ ÇáÔÑÚíÉ" (1/104) æÍÓäå ãÍÞÞæ ãÓäÏ ÃÍãÏ

The Prophet refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qataadah promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day and said, "I have paid it off," the Prophet said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.”
Reported in Musnad Ahmad (3/629) and classified as hasan (good) by an-Nawawi in al-Khalaasah (2/931) and by ibn Muflih in al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah (1/104).

Remember the seriousness of debt and the importance of paying it back when reading the other sections of www.STOPMajdyWardah.com.  Know, by Allaah, that Majdy Mohsin Wardah has tens of thousands of dollars of outstanding debt, some of which dates back to the early 1990's.  Decide for yourself if these ahadeeth apply to him, and consider them if you decide to associate with Majdy Wardah (ãÌÏí  æÑÏÉ) in the future.