The Truly Bankrupt
When we hear the word “bankrupt,” we usually think of someone who has lost all their money. However, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us about a more serious loss: arriving on the Day of Judgment with good deeds, then losing them because we have harmed other people.
The Hadith in Arabic
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ:
«أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْمُفْلِسُ؟»
قَالُوا: الْمُفْلِسُ فِينَا مَنْ لَا دِرْهَمَ لَهُ وَلَا مَتَاعَ.
فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ الْمُفْلِسَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِصَلَاةٍ وَصِيَامٍ وَزَكَاةٍ، وَيَأْتِي قَدْ شَتَمَ هَذَا، وَقَذَفَ هَذَا، وَأَكَلَ مَالَ هَذَا، وَسَفَكَ دَمَ هَذَا، وَضَرَبَ هَذَا، فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ، وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ، فَإِنْ فَنِيَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ، أُخِذَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ فَطُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ طُرِحَ فِي النَّارِ».
رواه مسلم، حديث رقم ٢٥٨١.
English Translation of the Meaning
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Do you know who the bankrupt person is?”
They replied, “The bankrupt person among us is someone who has neither money nor possessions.”
He said:
“The bankrupt person from my Ummah will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and zakah, but will also come having insulted one person, slandered another, unlawfully taken another’s wealth, shed another’s blood and struck another. One will be given some of his good deeds, and another will be given some of his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before what he owes has been settled, some of their sins will be taken and placed upon him. Then he will be thrown into the Fire.”
Source: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2581. *The English text above is a translation of the meaning.*
What Does This Hadith Teach Us?
This hadith teaches us that worship and good character belong together. Prayer, fasting and zakah are essential acts of worship, and we must also respect the rights of others. Insulting people, making false accusations, stealing and hurting others are serious wrongs for which a person will be held accountable.
On the Day of Judgment, the people who were harmed will receive justice. The wrongdoer’s good deeds will be given to them. If those deeds run out before the wrongs are settled, the wrongdoer will carry some of their sins. This is why the Prophet ﷺ described that person as truly bankrupt.
Putting the Lesson into Practice
At school, we can apply this message through our daily choices. We can speak politely, avoid name-calling, tell the truth about others and ask permission before using their belongings. When we feel angry, we can pause and choose a calm response instead of hurting someone with our words or actions.
For example, a student may pray regularly but also laugh at a classmate or spread an untrue story about them. This hadith reminds us to take such behaviour seriously and change it. If we have harmed someone, we should stop, sincerely seek Allah’s forgiveness and try to repair the harm—such as returning something we took or correcting a false statement.
Our choices affect other people. Before speaking or acting, we can ask ourselves: “Is this fair? Is it kind? Does it respect this person’s rights?” Through worship, honesty and kindness, we learn to become Muslims whose behaviour reflects their faith.