Clearing his Debt on his Deathbed

With regard to Hazrat Umar’s (ra) debt, I have mentioned about it previously as well. But further details regarding this are that Hazrat Umar (ra) enquired about his debt from his son and stated, “Abdullah bin Umar, go and see how much debt I owe.” When he checked, the total amounted to 86,000 dirhams. Hazrat Umar (ra) said, “O Abdullah! If the wealth of Umar’s family is enough to pay for this, then pay my debt from there. If this is insufficient, then ask from the Banu Adi bin Kaab. If they are also not able to pay it off, then ask from the Quraish, but do not ask anyone else.”

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 257)

The companions knew that their leader, who lived a modest and simple life, never accumulated this enormous debt owing to spending on himself. They knew full well that this money was spent on the poor and needy and that was why he ended up in debt. For this reason, Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf said to Hazrat Umar (ra), “Why do you not take this amount from the treasury and pay off your debt?” Hazrat Umar (ra) replied, “Heaven forbid! Do you wish that after I am gone, you and your companions say that you left your own portion for the sake of Umar? You will be able to console me now, but after me, there will be such a situation that I will not be able to escape from.”

Hazrat Umar (ra) then said to his son, Abdullah bin Umar (ra), “Take on the responsibility of paying my debt.” Thus, he accepted this responsibility. Hazrat Umar (ra) had not yet been buried when his son called some members of the shura [consultative body] and a few Christians as witnesses regarding his responsibility for paying the debt. After the burial of Hazrat Umar (ra), Friday had not passed when Abdullah bin Umar (ra) took the amount owed and went to Hazrat Uthman (ra). He fulfilled this responsibility in the presence of a few witnesses.

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 273)

With regard to repaying of Hazrat Umar’s (ra) debt, there is another narration mentioned in Wafa al-Wafa. Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) narrates that when Hazrat Umar’s (ra) demise was imminent, he owed some debt. Hazrat Umar (ra) called Hazrat Abdullah and Hazrat Hafsah and said, “I owe some money from the wealth given to me by Allah, and I wish to meet Allah the Almighty in a state whereby I will be free from debt. Thus, in order to pay off this debt, sell this house”, i.e. the house in which he resided. “If there is still something left to pay, then ask Banu Adi. Even then if there is an outstanding amount, ask the Quraish, but do not ask anyone else.”

After the demise of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Abdullah (ra) went to Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (ra), who purchased the house, which was known as Dar al-Qada. Hazrat Abdullah (ra) sold the house and paid off Hazrat Umar’s (ra) debt. For this reason, this house became known as:

دَارُ‭ ‬قَضَاءِ‭ ‬دَيْنِ‭ ‬عُمَر

“The house with which Hazrat Umar’s (ra) debt was paid off.”

(Allamah Nuruddin, Wafa al-Wafa bi Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, Vol. 1, Ch. 2 [Peshawar, Pakistan: Maktabah al-Haqqaniyyah, Mahallah Jangi], p. 222)