Back to search

What is the best way to balance working to repay debt with seeking knowledge and increasing faith? And is it preferable to be content with daytime work to free up time for seeking knowledge, considering the importance of repaying people's rights?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Working and earning money to acquire wealth becomes obligatory if a person has duties such as providing for dependents and fulfilling the rights of others, as the rights of people are based on strict accountability. Some scholars believe that earning a living, even if not obligatory, is better than devoting oneself solely to worship due to its widespread benefit. It is advisable to continue working to pay off debt, because "the martyr is forgiven for every sin except debt." It is also recommended to recite frequently the traditional supplications for settling debt, such as: "O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful provision against Your forbidden, and enrich me by Your grace, independent of anyone but You," and the supplication: "O Allah, Possessor of all sovereignty... have mercy on me, a mercy by which You make me independent of the mercy of anyone other than You."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy