Sunan Abi Dawud
Sunan Abi Dawud 2974
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقْتَسِمُ وَرَثَتِي دِينَارًا مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدَ نَفَقَةِ نِسَائِي وَمُؤْنَةِ عَامِلِي فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ " مُؤْنَةِ عَامِلِي " . يَعْنِي أَكَرَةَ الأَرْضِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘My heirs will not divide even a dinar. Whatever I leave after the maintenance of my wives and the expenses of my agent is charity.’ Abu Dawud explained: ‘My agent’ means the workers who cultivated the land.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic term ‘amil (‘my agent/worker’) is glossed by Abu Dawud as the land’s labourers (akarat al-ard), not a governor. The residue is described as sadaqah.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقْتَسِمُ وَرَثَتِي دِينَارًا مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدَ نَفَقَةِ نِسَائِي وَمُؤْنَةِ عَامِلِي فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ " .
The phrase mu’nat ‘amili can be read as the expense of the agent; Abu Dawud specifically glosses it as the land workers.
Should the main translation retain ‘my agent’ and let Abu Dawud’s gloss explain it, or incorporate ‘land workers’ directly?