Sunan Abi Dawud
Sunan Abi Dawud 2969
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، حَدَّثَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ وَفَاطِمَةُ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ حِينَئِذٍ تَطْلُبُ صَدَقَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الَّتِي بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَفَدَكَ وَمَا بَقِيَ مِنْ خُمُسِ خَيْبَرَ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رضى الله عنها فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رضى الله عنه إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ وَإِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي هَذَا الْمَالِ " . يَعْنِي مَالَ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَزِيدُوا عَلَى الْمَأْكَلِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘A’ishah reported this account: Fatimah was then seeking the property of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ held as sadaqah in Medina and at Fadak, and what remained of the fifth from Khaybar. ‘A’ishah said that Abu Bakr replied: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “We are not inherited from; whatever we leave is charity. The family of Muhammad may eat from this property”—meaning Allah’s property; they may not take more than their food allowance.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The final explanatory clause is part of the transmitted wording, clarifying ‘this property’ as property belonging to Allah and limiting the family to their food provision. It is rendered as a gloss within the report.
قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رضى الله عنها فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رضى الله عنه إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ وَإِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي هَذَا الْمَالِ " .
The final explanatory clause says the family may not exceed al-ma’kal, their food or subsistence; the exact allowance is not specified.
Should al-ma’kal be rendered ‘food allowance,’ ‘subsistence,’ or ‘food’?