A man who had died in debt would be brought to God’s Messenger and he would ask whether he had left any-thing to discharge his debt. If he was told ^that he had left enough he would pray, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to pray over their friend. But when God wrought the conquests at his hands he stood up and said, “I am closer to the believers than their own selves (Al-Qur’an 33:6), so if any of the believers dies leaving a debt I shall be responsible for paying it, and if anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs.”
We went to Abu Huraira regarding a friend of ours who was insolvent and he said, “This is what God’s Messenger decided about him. If any one dies or is insolvent, the owner of the goods has most right to them if he finds his actual goods.”
Abu Qatada told of a man saying, “Tell me, Messenger of God, if I am killed in God’s path showing endurance, seeking my reward from God, advancing and not retreating, will God efface my sins?” He replied, “Yes,” but when the man turned away he called him and said, “Yes, with the exception of a debt. Thus Gabriel said.”
