I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will?" He replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the making of a will has been enjoined on people, (or that they are ordered to make a will)?" He replied, "The Prophet (ﷺ) bequeathed Allah's Book (i.e. Qur'an).
Wills and Testaments (Wasaayaa)
Sahih al-Bukhari 2740
Hadith Text
I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will?" He replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the making of a will has been enjoined on people, (or that they are ordered to make a will)?" He replied, "The Prophet (ﷺ) bequeathed Allah's Book (i.e. Qur'an)."
Commentary
This narration clarifies that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) did not leave a material will concerning worldly possessions, as his estate was considered public trust. The response "He bequeathed Allah's Book" signifies that the Quran and his Sunnah constitute the eternal legacy for the Muslim ummah.
Scholars explain that the obligation of making a will (wasiyya) applies to Muslims with property, ensuring debts are paid and specific bequests made to non-heirs. The Prophet's exemption stems from his unique status as a prophet whose inheritance is knowledge, not wealth.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes this hadith demonstrates the Prophet's complete reliance on divine guidance, leaving the Quran as his perpetual guidance for the community, superseding any material bequest.