Wills and Testaments (Wasaayaa)
كتاب الوصايا
Chapter 9: The explanantion of the Statement of Allah Taa'la: "... After payment of legacies that they may have bequeathed or debts..."
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "All of you are guardians and responsible for your charges: the Ruler (i.e. Imam) is a guardian and responsible for his subjects; and a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for his charges; and a lady is a guardian in the house of her husband and is responsible for her charge; and a servant is a guardian of the property of his master and is responsible for his charge." I think he also said, "And a man is a guardian of the property of his father."
Chapter 11: Are children and women included under the term of relatives (concerning wills)
When Allah revealed the Verse: "Warn your nearest kinsmen," Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up and said, "O people of Quraish (or said similar words)! Buy (i.e. save) yourselves (from the Hellfire) as I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment; O Bani `Abd Manaf! I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment, O Safiya, the Aunt of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment; O Fatima bint Muhammad! Ask me anything from my wealth, but I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment."
Chapter 12: Can the founder of an endowment have the benefit of his endowment?
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a man driving a Badana and said to him, "Ride on it," and on the second or the third time he added, "Woe to you."
Chapter 14: When someone says, "My house is Sadaqa for Allah's sake,"
Chapter 15: If someone says, "My land is Sadaqa for Allah's safe on my mother's behalf,"
The mother of Sa`d bin 'Ubada died in his absence. He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqa on her behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes," Sa`d said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al Makhraf in charity on her behalf."
Chapter 18: The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "And when the relatives and the orphans and Al-Masakin are present at the time of division..."
Some people claim that the order in the above Verse is cancelled, by Allah, it is not cancelled, but the people have stopped acting on it. There are two kinds of guardians (who are in charge of the inheritance): One is that who inherits; such a person should give (of what he inherits to the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.), the other is that who does not inherit (e.g. the guardian of the orphans): such a person should speak kindly and say (to those who are present at the time of distribution), "I can not give it to you (as the wealth belongs to the orphans).
Chapter 19: Charity on behalf of a person who dies suddenly. And the execution of the vows.
Sa`d bin Ubada consulted Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "My mother died and she had an unfulfilled vow." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fulfill it on her behalf."
Chapter 22: The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "...if you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them..."
Chapter 29: How to write the endowment?
When `Umar got a piece of land in Khaibar, he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "I have got a piece of land, better than which I have never got. So what do you advise me regarding it?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you wish you can keep it as an endowment to be used for charitable purposes." So, `Umar gave the land in charity (i.e. as an endowments on the condition that the land would neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, (and its yield) would be used for the poor, the kinsmen, the emancipation of slaves, Jihad, and for guests and travelers; and its administrator could eat in a reasonable just manner, and he also could feed his friends without intending to be wealthy by its means."
Chapter 30: The usufruct of an endowment
`Umar got some property in Khaibar and he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him about it. The Prophet said to him, "If you wish you can give it in charity." So `Umar gave it in charity (i.e. as an endowment) the yield of which was to be used for the good of the poor, the needy, the kinsmen and the guests.
Chapter 23: How a guardian is to deal with an orphan's wealth
The following Verse:-- "If a guardian is well-off, let him claim no remuneration (i.e. wages), but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable." (4.6) was revealed in connection with the guardian of an orphan, and it means that if he is poor he can have for himself (from the orphan's wealth) what is just and reasonable according to the orphan's share of the inheritance.
Chapter 27: If somebody gives a piece of land as an endowment and does not mark its boundaries
Abu Talha had the greatest wealth of date-palms amongst the Ansar in Medina, and he prized above all his wealth (his garden) Bairuha', which was situated opposite the Mosque (of the Prophet (ﷺ) ). The Prophet used to enter It and drink from its fresh water. When the following Divine Verse came:-- "By no means shall you attain piety until you spend of what you love," (3.92) Abu Talha got up saying. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allah says, 'You will not attain piety until you spend of what you love,' and I prize above al I my wealth, Bairuha' which I want to give in charity for Allah's Sake, hoping for its reward from Allah. So you can use it as Allah directs you." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Bravo! It is a profitable (or perishable) property. (Ibn Maslama is not sure as to which word is right, i.e. profitable or perishable.) I have heard what you have said, and I recommend that you distribute this amongst your relatives." On that Abu Talha said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I will do (as you have suggested)." So, Abu Talha distributed that garden amongst his relatives and cousins.
Chapter 34: If somebody keeps an endowment, or stipulates that he should benefit by it as the other Muslims do
When 'Uthman (ra) was circled (by the rebels), he looked upon them from above and said, "Ias you by Allah, I ask nobody but the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), dont you know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Ruma will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it? Don't you know that he said. 'Whoever equip the army of 'Usra (i.e., Tabuk's Ghazwa) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it ?" They attested whatever he said.When 'Umar founded his endowment he said, "Its administrator can eat from it." The management of the endowment can be taken over by the founder himself or any other person, for both cases are permissible.
Chapter 37: The payments of the debts of the deceased
My father was martyred on the day (of the Ghazwa) of Uhud and left six daughters and some debts to be paid. When the time of plucking the date-fruits came, I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! you know that my father was martyred on Uhud's day and owed much debt, and I wish that the creditors would see you." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go and collect the various kinds of dates and place them separately in heaps"' I did accordingly and called him. On seeing him, the creditors started claiming their rights pressingly at that time. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw how they behaved, he went round the biggest heap for three times and sat over it and said, "Call your companions (i.e. the creditors)." Then he kept on measuring and giving them, till Allah cleared all my father's debts. By Allah, it would have pleased me that Allah would clear the debts of my father even though I had not taken a single date to my sisters. But by Allah, all the heaps were complete, (as they were) and I looked at the heap where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting and noticed as if not a single date had been taken thereof.
Chapter 20: The witnesses in the foundation of an endowment or in giving in charity
That the mother of Sa`d bin Ubada the brother of Bani Saida died in Sa`d's absence, so he came to the Prophet saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My mother died in my absence, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes." Sa`d said, "I take you as my witness that I give my garden Al-Makhraf in charity on her behalf."
Chapter 21: The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan-girls..."
`Urwa bin Az-Zubair said that he asked `Aisha about the meaning of the Qur'anic Verse:-- "And if you fear that you will not deal fairly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice." (4.2-3) Aisha said, "It is about a female orphan under the guardianship of her guardian who is inclined towards her because of her beauty and wealth, and likes to marry her with a Mahr less than what is given to women of her standard. So they (i.e. guardians) were forbidden to marry the orphans unless they paid them a full appropriate Mahr (otherwise) they were ordered to marry other women instead of them. Later on the people asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it. So Allah revealed the following Verse:-- "They ask your instruction (O Muhammad!) regarding women. Say: Allah instructs you regarding them..." (4.127) and in this Verse Allah indicated that if the orphan girl was beautiful and wealthy, her guardian would have the desire to marry her without giving her an appropriate Mahr equal to what her peers could get, but if she was undesirable for lack of beauty or wealth, then he would not marry her, but seek to marry some other woman instead of her. So, since he did not marry her when he had no inclination towards her, he had not the right to marry her when he had an interest in her, unless he treated her justly by giving her a full Mahr and securing all her rights.
Chapter 23: How a guardian is to deal with an orphan's wealth
In the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , `Umar gave in charity some of his property, a garden of date-palms called Thamgh. `Umar said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have some property which I prize highly and I want to give it in charity." The Prophet; said, "Give it in charity (i.e. as an endowment) with its land and trees on the condition that the land and trees will neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, but the fruits are to be spent in charity." So `Umar gave it in charity, and it was for Allah's Cause, the emancipation of slaves, for the poor, for guests, for travelers, and for kinsmen. The person acting as its administrator could eat from it reasonably and fairly, and could let a friend of his eat from it provided he had no intention of becoming wealthy by its means.
Chapter 24: The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "... those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans..."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people enquire, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What are they? "He said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse, chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.
Chapter 27: If somebody gives a piece of land as an endowment and does not mark its boundaries
A man said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , "My mother died, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative. The man said, "I have a garden and I make you a witness that I give it in charity on her behalf."
Chapter 28: A jointly-owned piece of land as an endowment
When the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that the mosque be built, he said, "O Bani An-Najjar! Suggest to me a price for this garden of yours." They replied, "By Allah! We will demand its price from none but Allah."