[Machine] I said to him, "Do you mean that for a man who bankrupts my offices and leaves people with debts that he couldn't repay, I should begin by giving people their rights before writing?" He replied, "Yes." And 'Amru bin Dinar said it to me, Ibn Juraij said, "I said to 'Ata: Is he not obligated to pay them off with any of his wealth that he has left from his own earnings?" He replied, "No." Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "So let us understand from this that when a debtor dies with a debt upon him, we begin with the debts owed to the people, as he passed away destitute and writing has ceased, and the master has no debt upon him and there remains no wealth for the master."  

قُلْتُ لَهُ يَعْنِي لِعَطَاءٍ أَفْلَسَ مُكَاتَبِي وَتَرَكَ مَالًا وَتَرَكَ دَيْنًا لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ لَمْ يَدَعْ لَهُ وَفَاءً أَبْدَأُ بِالْحَقِّ لِلنَّاسِ قَبْلَ كِتَابَتِي؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَقَالَهَا لِي عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ أَمَا أُحَاصُّهُمْ بِنَجْمٍ مِنْ نُجُومِهِ حَلَّ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ قَدْ مَلَكَ عَمَلَهُ فِي سَنَتِهِ؟ قَالَ لَا قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ وَبِهَذَا نَأْخُذُ فَإِذَا مَاتَ الْمُكَاتَبُ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ بُدِئَ بِدُيُونِ النَّاسِ لِأَنَّهُ مَاتَ رَقِيقًا وَبَطَلَتِ الْكِتَابَةُ وَلَا دَيْنَ لِلسَّيِّدِ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا بَقِيَ مَالٌ لِلسَّيِّدِ