How is the debt of a deceased person who has an inheritance and young children paid off?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If a person dies while owing a debt, their debt must first be settled from their estate before it is divided among the heirs, whether they are minors or adults. This is because the debt is a prior claim on the deceased's wealth. Allah Almighty says: "from [the fulfillment of] any bequest he [may have] made or debt." The debt takes precedence over a bequest and inheritance by scholarly consensus.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/126098
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 126098
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy