What happens to a person's debts when they die — must they be paid before the inheritance is divided?

Yes. Allah repeatedly makes the shares of inheritance payable only "after any bequest he may have made or debt" (Quran 4:11), so burial costs and then outstanding debts are settled from the estate before the heirs take anything at all. The Prophet ﷺ said, "The believer's soul is suspended by his debt until it is settled for him" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 1078, hasan), and Salamah ibn al-Akwa' reported that the Prophet ﷺ declined to lead the funeral prayer for a man who died owing three dinars with no wealth left behind, until Abu Qatadah guaranteed the payment (Sahih al-Bukhari 2289). If the deceased left nothing, the heirs are not sinful for the debt, but paying it off for them is a tremendous kindness — and a creditor who waives it earns the reward of charity: "But if you give [it] as charity, it is better for you, if you only knew" (Quran 2:280).

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