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REPAYING THE DEBT OF THE DECEASED

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“When the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, delivered a sermon his eyes became red, his voice would rise and become intense just as if he were alerting us against a hostile enemy. He would say: ‘The enemy is advancing against you in the morning; he advances against you in the evening.’ He would also say: ‘My advent and the advent of the Day of Judgement are as my two fingers.’ Then he held up his fore and middle fingers closely together.

He would say: ‘The best Word is the Book of Allah and the best example is the example of Muhammad; the worst practice is the introduction of innovation into the religion (which is contrary to the spirit of Islam); innovation is error.’ He would say: ‘I am more of a guardian to every believer than his own self. If a believer dies leaving property it goes to his heirs, but if he dies in debt and is survived by dependents, the responsibility for the payment of his debts and the looking after his dependents is mine.’"

Related by Irbah son of Sariah