Sahih al-Bukhari 3094

Ishaq ibn Muhammad al-Farawi narrated to us: Malik ibn Anas narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan. Muhammad ibn Jubayr had mentioned to me something from that report, so I went to Malik ibn Aws and asked him about it. Malik said: While I was sitting with my family in the heat of the day, Umar ibn al-Khattab’s messenger came to me and said, “Answer the Commander of the Believers.” I went with him and entered upon Umar. He was sitting on a bedstead made of palm fibers, with no bedding between him and it, leaning on a leather cushion. I greeted him and sat down. He said, “Malik, some households from your people have come to us, and I have ordered that a small gift be given to them. Take it and distribute it among them.” I said, “Commander of the Believers, if only you would appoint someone else for it.” He said, “Take it, man.” While I was sitting with him, his chamberlain Yarfaʾ came and said, “Will you admit ʿUthman, ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAwf, al-Zubayr, and Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas? They are asking permission.” He said, “Yes.” He admitted them; they entered, greeted him, and sat down. Yarfaʾ sat for a while, then said, “Will you admit ʿAli and al-ʿAbbas?” He said, “Yes.” He admitted them; they entered, greeted him, and sat down. Al-ʿAbbas said, “Commander of the Believers, judge between me and this man.” The two were disputing over what Allah had granted His Messenger (ﷺ) from Banu al-Nadir. The group—ʿUthman and his companions—said, “Commander of the Believers, judge between them and relieve one of them of the other.” ʿUmar said, “Hold on. I adjure you by Allah, by whose permission the heaven and the earth stand: do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity’?” He meant that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was referring to himself. The group said, “He did say that.” ʿUmar turned to ʿAli and al-ʿAbbas and said, “I adjure you both by Allah: do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that?” They said, “He did say that.” ʿUmar said, “I will tell you about this matter. Allah granted His Messenger (ﷺ) a special share of this fayʾ that He gave to no one else.” Then he recited: “Whatever Allah granted His Messenger from them—you did not spur any horses or camels for it—but Allah gives His messengers authority over whomever He wills, and Allah has power over all things”—through His words “all-powerful.” This was exclusively for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). By Allah, he did not keep it for himself to the exclusion of you, nor did he favor himself over you with it; rather, he gave it to you and distributed it among you until only this property remained. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to provide his family’s expenses for a year from this property, then take what remained and place it in the category of Allah’s property. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did this throughout his life. I adjure you by Allah: do you know this? They said, “Yes.” Then he said to ʿAli and al-ʿAbbas, “I adjure you both by Allah: do you know this?” ʿUmar said: Then Allah took His Prophet (ﷺ), and Abu Bakr said, “I am the one responsible for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” Abu Bakr took charge of it and managed it as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had managed it. Allah knows that he was truthful, dutiful, rightly guided, and following the truth in this matter. Then Allah took Abu Bakr, and I became responsible for Abu Bakr. I held it for two years of my rule, managing it as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr had managed it. Allah knows that I was truthful, dutiful, rightly guided, and following the truth in this matter. Then the two of you came to speak to me with one and the same claim and one and the same case. You, al-ʿAbbas, came asking me for your share from your nephew’s property, and this man”—meaning ʿAli—“came asking for his wife’s share from her father’s property. I told you both that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity.’ When I considered handing it over to you, I said, ‘If you wish, I will hand it over to you on the condition that you both undertake before Allah and pledge that you will manage it as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did, as Abu Bakr did, and as I have done since I took charge of it.’ You said, ‘Hand it over to us.’ So I handed it over to you on that basis. I adjure you by Allah: did I hand it over to them on that basis?” The group said, “Yes.” Then he turned to ʿAli and al-ʿAbbas and said, “I adjure you both by Allah: did I hand it over to you on that basis?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “Are you now seeking a judgment from me other than that? By Allah, by whose permission the heaven and the earth stand, I will issue no judgment about it other than that. If you are unable to manage it, return it to me, and I will manage it for you.”