Al-Kāfi - Volume 7 > The Case of One Who Leaves very Little Legacy with a Larger Amount of Debt and Dependents
Hadith #1

1- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ بِإِسْنَادٍ لَهُ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَمُوتُ وَيَتْرُكُ عِيَالا وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ أَيُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ مَالِهِ قَالَ إِنِ اسْتَيْقَنَ أَنَّ الدَّيْنَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ يُحِيطُ بِجَمِيعِ الْمَالِ فَلا يُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَيْقِنْ فَلْيُنْفِقْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ وَسَطِ الْمَالِ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith the following is narrated: “He once asked him (the Imam); ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who dies leaving behind dependents and debts; if anything can be spent from the legacy for the dependents. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is certain that his legacy covers the debt, then nothing can be spent for his dependents but if it is certain that the legacy cannot cover the debts, then it is permissible to spend thereof for the dependents.’”



Hadith #2

2- حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ إِلا أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ يُسْتَيْقَنُ أَنَّ الَّذِي تَرَكَ يُحِيطُ بِجَمِيعِ دَيْنِهِ فَلا يُنْفَقُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُسْتَيْقَنُ فَلْيُنْفَقْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ وَسَطِ الْمَالِ.

2. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from Sama‘ah from al-Husayn ibn Hashim and Muhammad ibn Ziyad all from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has narrated a similar Hadith except that he has said: ‘If it is certain that his legacy covers all of his debts then it is not spent on them but if it is not certain then from the center of the legacy their expenses are paid..’”



Hadith #3

3- حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ أَوْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا [عَنْهُ] عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ رَجُلا مِنْ مَوَالِيكَ مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ وُلْداً صِغَاراً وَتَرَكَ شَيْئاً وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَلَيْسَ يَعْلَمُ بِهِ الْغُرَمَاءُ فَإِنْ قَضَاهُ لِغُرَمَائِهِ بَقِيَ وُلْدُهُ وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَقَالَ أَنْفَقَهُ عَلَى وُلْدِهِ.

3. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from Sama‘ah, from Sulayman ibn Dawud or certain persons of our people from [him] from Ali ibn abu Hamzah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who has died and left behind small children and something but owes debts. The creditors do not know it (his leaving something). If debts are paid, nothing is left for his children who do not have anything. He (the Imam) said, ‘Spend it for his children.’”