7 Du'as for Debt Relief from the Messenger of Allah

7 Du'as for Debt Relief from the Messenger of Allah

Debt is a common occurrence in human life. Sometimes, people borrow from one another to cover their daily needs. For this reason, Islam does not forbid debt if there is a necessity for it. In fact, Islam regulates it to be more orderly and to ensure there is no element of injustice within it. However, it is also not uncommon for some to be entangled in debt, whether due to basic needs or efforts to improve their livelihood. It is undeniable that the burden of debt can weigh heavily on someone's life and rob them of inner peace. Among the efforts recommended by Sharia in settling debts is prayer (du'a). Prayer is one of the indirect efforts emphasized by Allah for His servants to solve their problems. This is why Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

“O you who have believed, seek help (from Allah) through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 153)

Linguistically, the word Shalat itself means prayer (du'a). Imam Ibnu Al-Atsir stated, “The word Shalat and Shalawat have been mentioned repeatedly (in many hadiths). Shalat is a specific act of worship, and its linguistic meaning is du'a. It was named Shalat by using one of its own core elements.” (An-Nihayah fi Gharib Al-Hadits, 3/50).

This means that prayer is an inseparable part of the Shalat. In fact, the majority of the recitations in Shalat, such as Al-Fatihah, the supplication between the two prostrations, the tashahhud, various versions of the iftitah, and the recitations of ruku' and sujud, all contain prayers. This is the wisdom behind why the Messenger of Allah explained that one of the best times to pray is during Shalat. The Messenger of Allah said,

أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ، فَأَكْثِرُوا الدُّعَاءَ

“The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so increase your supplications (then).” (HR. Muslim: 482 from Abu Hurairah).

The companion Abu Umamah Al-Bahily narrated,

قِيلَ: "يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَيُّ الدُّعَاءِ أَسْمَعُ؟" قَالَ: "جَوْفَ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرِ وَدُبُرَ الصَّلَواتِ الْمَكْتُوباتِ"

“It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is most heard (by Allah)?’ He replied, ‘In the middle of the last part of the night and at the end of the obligatory prayers.’” (HR. At-Tirmidzi: 3499 and An-Nasai in Al-Kubra: 9856). (1)

The Messenger of Allah did not only teach his Ummah prayers for the hereafter, but sometimes he also taught prayers of a worldly nature, because essentially, every deed of a servant in this world is closely related to the results they will reap in the hereafter. This includes prayers concerning debt. Surely, the prayers he taught are far better than the prayers we compose ourselves. Besides that, praying with the words he taught is part of following his example, for which every Muslim receives a reward. Allah says:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (QS. Al-Ahzab: 21).

A person who prays using the words taught by the Prophet will receive two virtues: the virtue of the prayer itself and the virtue of following the example of the Messenger of Allah. Whereas those who pray with their own words—not through the prophetic prayers—will only receive one virtue, which is the virtue of the prayer alone. Certainly, praying with the prophetic words is much more virtuous and better than using one's own words. Here are the prayers taught by the Prophet for those who wish for ease in settling their debts. It would be excellent if they are memorized and practiced.

First, Amirul Mukminin Ali bin Abi Thalib said to a man who complained to him,

أَلاَ أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ عَلَّمَنِيهِنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ مِثْلُ جَبَلِ صِيرٍ دَيْنًا أَدَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ، قُلْ:

“Shall I not teach you some words that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me?! Even if you had a debt as large as Mount Sir, Allah would pay it off for you. Say:

"اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلاَلِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ"

‘O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful (provisions) over Your forbidden, and make me independent by Your grace from anyone other than You.’” (HR. At-Tirmidzi: 3563. At-Tirmidzi said, this is a hasan gharib hadith.) (2)

Second, specifically, this prayer is recited every time before going to sleep. The companion Abu Hurairah said,

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَأْمُرُنَا إِذَا أَخَذْنَا مَضْجَعَنَا، أَنْ نَقُولَ:

“The Messenger of Allah used to command us, when we went to our beds, to say:

اللهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبَّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى، وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ، اللهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْآخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْءٌ، اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْرِ 

‘O Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Great Throne. Our Lord and the Lord of everything. The Splitter of the grain and the pit. The Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Criterion (Quran). I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything whose forelock You hold. O Allah, You are the First, so there is nothing before You; You are the Last, so there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest (Az-Zhahir), so there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden (Al-Batin), so there is nothing closer than You. Settle our debt and suffice us from poverty.’” (HR. Muslim: 2713)

Third, the companion Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said to Muadz bin Jabal,

أَلَا أُعَلِّمُكَ دُعَاءً تَدْعُو بِهِ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ مِثْلُ جَبَلٍ دَيْنًا لَأَدَّى اللَّهُ عَنْكَ؟ قُلْ يَا مُعَاذُ

“Shall I not teach you a prayer that if you supplicate with it, even if you had a debt the size of a mountain, Allah would pay it on your behalf? Say, O Muadz:

اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكُ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرِ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، رَحْمَانُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ تُعْطِيهُمَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَمْنَعُ مِنْهُمَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ، اِرْحَمْنِي رَحْمَةً تُغْنِينِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ

‘O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. You are the Most Gracious of this world and the Hereafter. You give them to whom You will and withhold them from whom You will. Have mercy on me with a mercy that makes me independent of the mercy of anyone other than You.’” (HR. At-Thabarani in Mu’jam As-Shaghir: 558) (3)

Fourth, the companion Anas bin Malik narrated,

فَكُنْتُ أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، إِذَا نَزَلَ فَكُنْتُ أَسْمَعُهُ كَثِيرًا يَقُولُ:

“I used to serve the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Whenever he stopped during a journey, I often heard him saying:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالحَزَنِ وَالعَجْزِ وَالكَسَلِ وَالبُخْلِ وَالجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety, grief, incapacity, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, the burden of debt, and being overpowered by men.’” (HR. Al-Bukhari: 2893).

Fifth, Aisha said, “The Messenger of Allah used to always pray in his Shalat:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ القَبْرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَحْيَا وَفِتْنَةِ المَمَاتِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ المَأْثَمِ وَالمَغْرَمِ

‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave. I seek refuge in You from the trial of the False Messiah (Dajjal). I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin (ma'tsam) and debt (maghram).’

Aisha continued, “Then someone asked him, ‘Why do you so often seek refuge from maghram, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘When a person is in debt, when he speaks, he lies, and when he promises, he breaks it.’” (HR. Al-Bukhari: 832 and Muslim: 589)

Sixth, the companion Abdullah bin Amru bin Al-Ash narrated that the Messenger of Allah prayed with the following words:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الْعَدُوِّ وَشَمَاتَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from being overwhelmed by debt, being overwhelmed by the enemy, and the malicious joy of enemies.” (HR. An-Nasai: 5475) (4)

Seventh, the companion Abu Said Al-Khudri narrated, “The Messenger of Allah entered the mosque one day and found a man there called Abu Umamah. He asked, ‘O Abu Umamah, why do I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not time for prayer?’ Abu Umamah replied, ‘Griefs and debts have overwhelmed me, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Shall I not teach you some words which, if you say them, Allah will remove your grief and pay your debt?’ Abu Umamah said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Say every morning and evening:*

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ

‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and laziness. I seek refuge in You from cowardice and miserliness. I seek refuge in You from the burden of debt and being overpowered by men.’’

Abu Umamah continued, ‘I did that, and Allah removed my grief and paid my debt.’” (HR. Abu Dawud: 1555) (5)

The wording of the prayer in this hadith is similar to the prayer in number 4. The only difference is that this prayer is practiced routinely every morning and evening, specifically after Fajr and after Asr or Maghrib.

Conclusion: These are the 7 prayers that can be memorized, practiced, and turned into a routine, especially during the times when supplications are answered (mustajab). There are 3 prayers meant for specific times, such as the second one before sleep, the fifth one during Shalat after the tashahhud and before the salam, and the seventh one every morning and evening. The rest can be recited at any time without restriction. May these prayers be beneficial for whoever reads and practices them.