The meaning of the Hadeeth:'Who is bankrupt?'

10-11-2007 | IslamWeb

Question:

Who is the bankrupt person who is mentioned in one of the Prophet's, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Hadeeths?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

 

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked his companions whom they thought would be a bankrupt person. They said that the bankrupt person is the person who neither possesses money nor property. Instead the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, informed them that the person who is really bankrupt in his Nation is the person who comes on the Day of Resurrection with rewards for prayer, fasting and charity, but has exhausted his good deeds because he insulted and defamed others, unlawfully took their wealth or shed the blood of people or beat them, so this person's reward for his good deeds is instead credited to the persons who suffered from him.  If this man's good deeds fail to clear his debt, the sins of those who suffered from him will be added to his account and he will consequently be thrown in Hell. [Muslim and At-Tirmithi]

Generally, this Hadeeth means that people must protect the reward for their good deeds from being lost.  This means, a person must avoid such aforementioned evil actions, which involve injustice and wrongdoing towards others either morally or materially lest he becomes bankrupt in terms of rewards. 

Allaah Knows best.