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REPAYMENT OF DEBTS

203

“When Zubair stood up prepared to fight on the day of the battle of Jamal, he called me so I, (Abdullah, son of Zubair) went and stood at his side. He said, ‘My son, whoever is killed today will be either a wrongdoer or one who is wronged. I am sure I shall be one of those killed this day who are wronged. My greatest concern is my debt. Do you think that anything will be left over from our property after the repayment of my debts? My son, sell our property and pay my debts. If anything remains after the repayment give one ninth of it to your sons.’

He continued to instruct me about his debts and then said, ‘My son, should you find yourself unable to repay any portion of my debt then go to my Master and seek His help.’ I did not understand what he meant so I asked, ‘Father, who is your Master?’ He replied: ‘Allah’. So whenever I faced difficulty in the repayment of any part of his debt, I supplicated saying, ‘O Master of Zubair, repay his debt; and He repaid it.’

When Zubair was martyred, he left no money, but he left some land; one piece in Ghabah, eleven houses in Medina, two in Basra, one in Kufa and another in Egypt.

The reason for his indebtedness was that when someone came to him and asked him to keep something in trust for him. Zubair, fearing it might be lost, would not agree to accept it as a trust, so he took it as a loan.

He would neither accept a governorship, revenue office, nor any public office. He fought along with the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman.

I prepared a statement of his debts and they were counted. Hizam met me and asked, ‘Nephew, how much debt is due from my brother?’ I concealed the actual state of affairs and said, ‘A hundred thousand.’ Hakim said, ‘I do not think your assets will cover that much.’ I said, ‘What would you think if the amount was two million, two thousand?’ He said, ‘I do not think that this is within your capacity. If you are unable to repay any portion of it call upon me for help.’

Zubair had purchased the land in Ghabah for one hundred and seventy thousand. Abdullah sold it for one million, six hundred thousand, and announced that whosoever had a claim against Zubair should meet him in Ghabah. Abdullah son of Ja'far came to him and said: ‘Zubair owed me four hundred thousand, but I will release him from the debt if you wish.’ Abdullah replied, ‘No.’ Ibn Ja'far said, ‘If you wish for a postponement I will postpone the recovery of the debt.’ Abdullah said, ‘No.’ So Ibn Ja'far said, ‘In that case measure out a plot for me.’ So Abdullah marked out a plot and sold the land to repay his father's debt. After the repayment there remained four sixteenths of land.

Later, he visited Mu'awiah, who had with him at the time, Amr the son of Othman, Munzir the son of Zubair, and the son of Zam'ah. Mu'awiah asked Abdullah, ‘What price did you ask for the land in Ghabah?’ He replied, ‘One hundred thousand for a sixteenth.’ Mu'awiah inquired, ‘How much of it is left?’ Abdullah said, ‘Four and a half sixteenths.’ Munzir son of Zubair said, ‘I will take one sixteenth for one hundred thousand.’ Amr son of Othman said, ‘I will also take one sixteenth for one hundred thousand.’ Ibn Zam'ah said, ‘I too will take one sixteenth for one hundred thousand.’ Then Mu'awiah asked, ‘How much of it is now left?’ Abdullah replied, ‘One and a half sixteenths.’ So Mu'awiah said, ‘I will take it for one hundred and fifty thousand.’ Later, Abdullah son of Ja'far sold to Mu'awiah his share for six hundred thousand. When Abdullah son of Zubair had finished paying his debts the children of Zubair asked, ‘Now distribute the inheritance among us.’ He replied, ‘I will not be able to do this until after I have announced: Let anyone who has a claim against Zubair come forward so that it can be repaid until the passing of four successive pilgrimage seasons have been completed.’

After he made this announcement during the four seasons he distributed the inheritance among the heirs of Zubair according to his directions. Zubair had four wives, each of them received one million, two hundred thousand. The total of Zubair's estate amounted to fifty million, two hunndred thousand.”

Bukhari with a chain up to Abdullah son of Zubair who related this.

GIVING CHARITY OF BEHALF OF THE DECEASED

Allah, the Exalted says:

“Those who came after them say:

'Forgive us our Lord, and forgive our brothers

who were believers before us.....” 59:10 Koran