Dua Against Debt - By Wael Abdelgawad for IslamicSunrays.

com
Being in debt is a killer. It consumes us with stress, and eats away at our happiness and sense of security. It destroys
marriages, and if the debt is between family or friends then it can ruin those relationships. In some countries, inability to pay
your debt can even you put in prison.
I feel obligated to mention that part of the reason so many people are carrying so much debt is our addiction to the material
lifestyle. We are bombarded with messages and advertisements telling us we need to buy this and own that. It gets to the
point where we measure our status in life (and that of others) by what we own, or worse, by how much we spend. If we spend
a huge sum of money on a lavish wedding, then we are honored in society. If not, we feel shamed. !ince our incomes do
not match our desires, we go into debt.
"his thinking and lifestyle is completely contrary to what Islam teaches us, and to the e#ample set by the $rophet
%uhammad (pbuh) and the !ahabah (may &llah be pleased with them all). 'ven when they became rulers of the world, they
continued to live simple and humble lifestyles, because they understood what really matters in life.
!o the (rst step for us is to read)ust our priorities, and to reali*e that what matters is our relationship with &llah. Beyond that,
the important things in life are our family relationships + loving our spouses and children and spending time with them,
worshiping with them, supporting them. "hen our friendships, and doing some good in the world, creating something
meaningful, and being an agent of compassion in the lives of those around you.
Dua Against Debt
If you have done whatever you can to avoid debt, and still you (nd yourself burdened with debts, try this dua from ,ortress of
the %uslim. -epeat it many times every day.
/ua for relief from debt, in &rabic
Allaahummak-fnee bihalaalika an haraamika wa aghninee bifadhlika amman siwaaka.
O Allah, suce me with what !ou ha"e allowed instead of what !ou ha"e forbidden , and ma#e me
inde$endent of all others besides !ou.%
(-eference. &t0"irmithi 12134. !ee also &l0&lbani, !ahih &t0"irmithi 52674.)
"his dua against debt is really brilliant, because the dua contains within itself the solution to the problem. !u8ce me with
what you have allowed. In other words, let the halal be enough for me. /on9t let me get myself into debt because of haram
mortgage loans or e#cessive material desire, or out0of0control consumer spending. :et me be satis(ed with a simple, halal
life, so that I don9t get into debt.
If you repeat this often enough it becomes a part of your thinking and awareness, and you modify your own behavior, which
leads to. make me independent of all others besides ;ou. ;ou become your own man or woman, not owing money to
anyone, independent, relying only on &llah.
I9m not saying the dua is )ust an a8rmation, I9m saying it works on both levels, as an a8rmation and as a prayer to &llah to
help you achieve that a8rmation. It9s a subtle and ama*ing dua.
&hree '(cellent Dua)s Against Debt* +note that ,- is the same as the one abo"e.
/. Oh Allah, I ta#e refuge in !ou0%
<arrated by &bu !a9id &l0=hudri (ra).
>ne day the %essenger of &llah (saw) entered the mos?ue. @e saw there a man from the &nsar (a resident of %adinah)
called &bu Amamah and said to him. What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the mos?ue when there is no time of
prayerB &bu Amamah said. I am entangled in sorrow and debts. "he $rophet %uhammad (ra ) replied. !hall I not teach
you words by which, when you say them, &llah will remove your sorrow, and settle your debtsB &bu Amamah said. ;es,
%essenger of &llah. "he $rophet %uhammad (ra ) said. !ay in the morning and evening. Allahumma inni auzu
bika min alhamma wal huzn, wal ajzi wal kasali wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhalaiddini wa
galabatir rajaal. (!ee here for the arabic te#t).
1O Allah, I ta#e refuge in !ou from an(iety and sorrow, wea#ness and la2iness, miserliness and cowardice, the
burden of debts and from being o"er$owered by men.)
&bu Amamah said. When I did that &llah removed my distress and settled my debt. C&bu /awoodD
-. O Allah, grant me enough0%
&li radi &llahu Eanhu said that a slave, who had made a contract with his master to pay for his freedom, came to him and
said, I am unable to ful(l my contract, so help me. @e said, !hall I not teach you some words which &llah9s %essenger (ra)
taught me, and which even if you had a debt as large as a mountain &llah would pay it for youB.
Allahumma akfni bihala lika an haramika wa aghnini bi fadhlika am-man siwak.
O Allah, grant me enough of what !ou ma#e lawful that I may dis$ense of with what !ou ma#e unlawful, and
ma#e me inde$endent, by !our bounty, of other than !ou.% C&t0"irmidhiD
3. O Allah, So"ereign of all0%
"he $rophet (saw) said to %uadh radi &llahu Eanhu, !hould I not teach you a supplication which, when used to implore &llah,
&llah shall pay your debt, even it be as huge as %ount AhudB @e then mentioned.
Allahumma Maalik al-mulki tutil-mulka man tasha u wa tanziul mulka mimman tasha, wa
tuizzu man tasha u wa tudhilu man tasha, bi yadika al-khayr, innaka ala kulli shayin
qadeer, Rahmaan-id-dunya wal-aakhirah wa raheemahuma, tuteeyahuma man tasha wa
tamna minhuma man tasha, irhamni rahmatan taghnini biha an rahmati man siwaak.
O Allah, So"ereign of all, !ou gi"e dominion to whomsoe"er !ou will and !ou ta#e dominion away from
whomsoe"er !ou will, !ou e(alt whomsoe"er !ou will and !ou bring low whomsoe"er !ou will. In !our hand is
all goodness and !ou are able to do all things. 4ost 4erciful and 4ost com$assionate in this world and in the
5ereafter, !ou gi"e them to whomsoe"er !ou will and withhold them from whomsoe"er !ou will. Bestow mercy
u$on 4e in such a manner that I ha"e no need of the mercy of anyone but !ou.% C"abaraniD