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Hadith 18: Paying off Jabir’s Debt
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah Al-Ansari:
My father was martyred on the day of Uhud and left six daughters and some debts to be paid. I suggested that his creditors take the fruits (i.e. dates) of my garden in lieu of the debt of my father, but they refused the offer, as they thought that it would not cover the full debt. Jabir, added, "When the season of plucking the dates came, I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "You know that my father was martyred on the day of Uhud, and he was heavily in debt, and I would like that the creditors should see you." The Prophet (ﷺ) whereupon said to his companions, "Let us go and ask the Jew for respite for Jabir." All of them came to me in my garden, and the Prophet (ﷺ) started speaking to the Jew, but the Jew said, "O Abu Qasim! I will not grant him respite." When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw the Jew's attitude, he stood up and walked all around the garden and came again and talked to the Jew, but the Jew refused his request. I got up and brought some ripe fresh dates and put it in front of the Prophet. He ate and then said to me, "Where is your hut, O Jabir?" I informed him, and he said, "Spread out a bed for me in it." I spread out a bed, and he entered and slept. When he woke up, I brought some dates to him again and he ate of it and then got up and talked to the Jew again, but the Jew again refused his request. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) got up for the second time amidst the palm trees loaded with fresh dates. The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked Allah to bless the fruits and said to me, "Go and collect the various kinds of dates and place them separately in heaps"' I did accordingly and called him. On seeing him, the creditors started claiming their rights pressingly at that time. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw how they behaved, he went round the biggest heap for three times and sat over it and said, "Call your companions (i.e. the creditors)." Then he kept on measuring and giving them, till Allah cleared all my father's debts. By Allah, it would have pleased me that Allah would clear the debts of my father even though I had not taken a single date to my sisters. But by Allah, all the heaps were complete, (as they were) and I looked at the heap where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting and noticed as if not a single date had been taken thereof.
