All praise be to Allah and may His peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad. In the hustle and bustle of our present economic situation, there’s no doubt that many of us find ourselves burdened by debt, and we are going to learn some authentic, beneficial dua to pay off debt today in sha Allah.
Before we discuss the dua to settle debt, we as Muslims should be conscious of acquiring so much debt a lot. Debt can weigh heavily on the heart, disrupting peace and causing anxiety. Debt can feel like an overwhelming shadow, weighing heavily on one’s heart and stealing one’s peace of mind. It can disrupt someone from sleeping very well, affect relationships, and make every bit of life feel like a mountain.
The issue of debt is a struggle that many of us face, but as Muslims, we are blessed with the guidance and comfort of Allah’s words. When we find ourselves burdened, it’s essential we turn to Allah with sincere prayers and utilize the recommended dua to settle debt from the mouth of our Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) can offer us the relief we seek and make us settle the debt at hand.
If you’re reading this, there are chances that you want to settle the debt you owe some people but worry less now. Take a deep breath — you’re not alone. And the best news is that your relief is near. Learn the recommended dua to pay off debt from the sunnah today and pray to Allah with them to settle your debt.
The Gravity of Debt in Islam
Debt in Islam goes beyond mere financial transactions. It entails a moral obligation to repay what is owed, either monetary or goods. The Quran and Hadith discuss the seriousness of debt, describing it as both a responsibility to fulfill and a potential burden on one’s soul. Allah says…
O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. Let no scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation [i.e., the debtor] dictate. And let him fear Allah, his Lord, and not leave anything out of it…
” (Quran 2:282).
This verse is the longest verse in the Quran, and it is called Ayatul Dayn. It emphasizes the importance of documenting debts to ensure clarity and fulfillment of obligations without anyone harming the other (that is, the debtor and owner). It is encouraged to document it for later reference so that the debtor will easily remember to repay it.
The issue of debt wasn’t taken with levity by our prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) when he once refused to perform the Janazah (funeral) prayer for a man who had unpaid debts. He only agreed after someone stepped forward to assume responsibility for clearing the debt.
“The soul of the believer remains suspended (from entering Paradise) by the debt until it is paid off on his behalf.”
(Sunan Al-Tirmidhi 1078)
Debt is something we should not have on our hands before death because Allah will collect the rights of his debts for him back on the day of accountability from our good deeds unless the owner forgives one in this world. Therefore, we should strive to seek Allah’s help through the recommended dua to pay off debt while making efforts to settle it (by working). The Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever takes people’s wealth with the intention of repaying it, Allah will help him repay it. And whoever takes it intending to waste it, Allah will destroy him.”
(Sahih Bukhari 2387)
This comforting statement of our Prophet that once we have the intention to repay a debt, Allah will make it easy for us to repay it is another thing that ascertains seeking Allah’s assistance with the recommended dua to settle debt at hand. Now, what are the recommended dua to settle debt?
Here is the list of the recommended dua to pay off debt as our Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) taught us.
1# Dua to Pay Off Debt
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلاَلِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ
Allāhummakfinī biḥalālika `an ḥarāmika, wa aghninī bi faḍlika `amman siwāka
O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful against Your prohibited, and make me independent of all those besides You (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, 3563)
2# Dua to Pay Off Debt
اللّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dal’i-d-daini wa ghalabatir-rijal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6369
3# Dua to Pay Off Debt
This dua below is a highly recommended dua to settle debt that is as much as the mountain of Uhud. That is, no matter how much your debt is, if you use this dua to seek Allah’s help in settling your debt Allah will make it easy for you.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Shall I not teach you a prayer which, if you supplicated by it, Allah would discharge your debt from you even if it were like the size of a mountain? Say:
O Allah, the Absolute Sovereign, You grant sovereignty to whomever You will and deny sovereignty to whomever You will. You empower whomever You will and subjugate whomever You will. All goodness is in Your hand, for You alone have power over all things. The Most Merciful of the world and the Hereafter, You give from them both to whomever You will and withhold from them both to whomever You will. Have mercy upon me with such mercy that will free me from anyone else besides You.”
اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، رَحْمَانَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ، تُعْطِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُمَا، وَتَمْنَعُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ، ارْحَمْنِي رَحْمَةً تُغْنِينِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ
Allahumma Malikal-Mulk, tu’til-mulka man tasha’ wa tanzi’ul-mulka mimman tasha’, wa tu’izzu man tasha’ wa tudhillu man tasha’, biyadikal-khair, innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir, Rahmanad-dunya wal-akhirah, tu’ti man tasha’ minhuma, wa tamna’u man tasha’, irhamni rahmatan tughniyini biha ‘an rahmati man siwak.
This dua to settle debt was authenticated by Al-Albani in Al-Mu’jam al-Saghir lil-Tabarani 558
You can find some of these duas in the Deen Minder, which you can download on the Play Store or App Store. After downloading it, just search for “dua to settle debt” or “dua to pay off debt”, and you will see the related dua to pay off debt there.
The following dua to pay off debt was taught by our Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and we should always make use of them in seeking Allah’s relief from debt. Debt is one of the things that can make someone start misbehaving, as our Prophet said.
“If a person is in debt, he tells lies when he speaks, and breaks his promises when he promises.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2397)
In the same hadith, it was reported that our Prophet used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying,
“O Allah, I seek refuge with you from all sins, and from being in debt.
When our Prophet was used to constantly seeking Allah’s relief from debt, why wouldn’t we?
We ask Allah to make it easy for us to settle our debt and enrich us in His bounty so that we won’t be in need of anyone but Him. Aameen
