(mother of the believers) After the death of Allah 's Apostle Fatima the daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to give her, her share of inheritance from what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had left of the Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting) which Allah had given him. Abu Bakr said to her, "Allah's Apostle said, 'Our property will not be inherited, whatever we (i.e. prophets) leave is Sadaqa (to be used for charity)." Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got angry and stopped speaking to Abu Bakr, and continued assuming that attitude till she died. Fatima remained alive for six months after the death of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). She used to ask Abu Bakr for her share from the property of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which he left at Khaibar, and Fadak, and his property at Medina (devoted for charity). Abu Bakr refused to give her that property and said, "I will not leave anything Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to do, because I am afraid that if I left something from the Prophet's tradition, then I would go astray." (Later on) `Umar gave the Prophet's property (of Sadaqa) at Medina to `Ali and `Abbas, but he withheld the properties of Khaibar and Fadak in his custody and said, "These two properties are the Sadaqa which Allah's Apostle used to use for his expenditures and urgent needs. Now their management is to be entrusted to the ruler." (Az-Zuhri said, "They have been managed in this way till today.")
One-fifth of Booty to the Cause of Allah (Khumus)
Sahih al-Bukhari 3092, 3093
Contextual Background
This narration addresses the inheritance rights concerning the property of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), specifically the Fai' properties acquired without military engagement, including Fadak and Khaibar.
Legal Ruling on Prophetic Inheritance
The Prophet's declaration "Our property is not inherited" establishes that prophets leave behind not personal wealth for heirs but charitable endowments (Sadaqa) for community welfare.
Abu Bakr's adherence to this principle demonstrates the importance of preserving prophetic precedent (Sunnah) without alteration, even when facing personal hardship.
Management of Prophetic Endowments
The properties were designated as Sadaqa, managed by the ruling authority for public benefit, maintaining the pattern established during the Prophet's lifetime for community expenditures and urgent needs.
Umar's continuation of this administration system shows the consensus among the rightly-guided caliphs regarding the perpetual charitable status of these properties.
Scholarly Interpretation
This ruling applies exclusively to prophets, not general inheritance laws. The incident underscores the distinction between personal wealth and prophetic legacy, which serves the Muslim community's ongoing needs.
The preservation of this system "till today" (as noted by Az-Zuhri) confirms the perpetual validity of this ruling in Islamic governance.