The Chapters on Wills

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr narrated to us: My father and Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us. And Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah and ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad narrated to us: They said: Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us—and Abū Bakr and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr said—from al-Aʿmash, from Shaqīq, from Masrūq, from ʿĀʾishah, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, left neither a dinar, nor a dirham, nor a sheep, nor a camel, and he did not make a bequest.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad narrated to us: Wakīʿ narrated to us, from Mālik ibn Mighwal, from Ṭalḥah ibn Muṣarrif, who said: I asked ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā, “Did the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, make a bequest concerning anything?” He said, “No.” I asked, “Then why did he instruct the Muslims to make bequests?” He said, “He bequeathed the Book of God.” Mālik said: Ṭalḥah ibn Muṣarrif said: al-Huzayl ibn Shuraḥbīl said: Abū Bakr was in charge of the bequest of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. Abū Bakr wished he had found a covenant from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, so he could put a nose-ring through his nose.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām narrated to us: al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān narrated to us: I heard my father relate, from Qatādah, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: The most frequent bequest of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his death, while his breath was rattling, was: “The prayer, and those whom your right hands possess.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sahl ibn Abī Sahl narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl narrated to us, from Mughīrah, from Umm Mūsā, from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, who said: The last words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, were: “The prayer, and those whom your right hands possess.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad narrated to us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr narrated to us, from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “It is not right for a Muslim who has something to bequeath to spend two nights without having his bequest written and kept with him.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Naṣr ibn ʿAlī al-Jahḍamī narrated to us: Durust ibn Ziyād narrated to us: Yazīd al-Raqāshī narrated to us, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The deprived one is the one deprived of his bequest.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muḥammad ibn al-Muṣaffā al-Ḥimṣī narrated to us: Baqiyyah ibn al-Walīd narrated to us, from Yazīd ibn ʿAwf, from Abū al-Zubayr, from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever dies with a bequest dies upon a path and a practice, and dies in piety and as a witness, and dies forgiven.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muḥammad ibn Maʿmar narrated to us: Rawḥ ibn ʿAwf narrated to us, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “It is not right for a Muslim to spend two nights with something to bequeath without having his bequest written and kept with him.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Suwayd ibn Saʿīd narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Zayd al-ʿAmmī narrated to us, from his father, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever flees from the inheritance due to his heir, God will cut off his inheritance from Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aḥmad ibn al-Azhar narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Razzāq ibn Hammām narrated to us: Maʿmar informed us, from Ashʿath ibn ʿAbd Allāh, from Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “A man may act like the people of goodness for seventy years, then when he makes his bequest, he acts unjustly in it, so his life is sealed with an evil deed and he enters the Fire. A man may act like the people of evil for seventy years, then act justly in his bequest, so his life is sealed with a good deed and he enters Paradise.” Abū Hurayrah said: “If you wish, recite the words, These are the limits set by God, through to the words, a humiliating punishment.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Yaḥyā ibn ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd ibn Kathīr ibn Dīnār al-Ḥimṣī narrated to us: Baqiyyah narrated to us, from Abū Ḥalbas, from Khulayḍ ibn Abī Khulayḍ, from Muʿāwiyah ibn Qurrah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever approaches death and makes a bequest that accords with the Book of God, it will atone for the zakat he failed to pay during his life.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us: Sharīk narrated to us, from ʿUmārah ibn al-Qaʿqāʿ and Ibn Shubrumah, from Abū Zurʿah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: “Messenger of God, tell me who among people has the greatest right to my good companionship.” He said, “Yes, by your father, you shall certainly be told: your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” He said, “Then your mother.” He asked, “Then who?” He said, “Then your mother.” He asked, “Then who?” He said, “Then your father.” The man said, “Messenger of God, tell me about my wealth: how should I give charity from it?” He said, “Yes, by God, you shall certainly be told: give charity while you are healthy and attached to wealth, hoping for a long life and fearing poverty. Do not delay until your soul reaches here and you say that your wealth is for this person and that person, when it will already belong to them, even if you dislike it.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us: Yazīd ibn Hārūn informed us: Ḥarīz ibn ʿUthmān informed us: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Maysarah narrated to me, from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, from Busr ibn Jaḥḥāsh al-Qurashī, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, spat into his palm, then pointed to it with his index finger and said: “God, Mighty and Majestic, says: How can you thwart Me, son of Adam, when I created you from something like this? When your soul reaches this”—and he pointed to his throat—“you say that you will give charity. But how can there be time for charity then?”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hishām ibn ʿAmmār, al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥasan al-Marwazī, and Sahl narrated to us. They said: Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from ʿĀmir ibn Saʿd, from his father, who said: I became ill in the year of the Conquest and came close to death. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, visited me. I said, “Messenger of God, I have a great deal of wealth and no heir but my daughter. May I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity?” He said, “No.” I said, “Then half?” He said, “No.” I said, “Then one-third?” He said: “One-third, and one-third is a lot. For you to leave your heirs wealthy is better than leaving them destitute, begging from people.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad narrated to us: Wakīʿ narrated to us, from Ṭalḥah ibn ʿAmr, from ʿAṭāʾ, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “At the time of your deaths, God has granted you the option to bequeath one-third of your property, as an increase in your deeds.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ṣāliḥ ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭṭān narrated to us: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Mūsā narrated to us: Mubārak ibn Ḥassān informed us, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Son of Adam, I have granted you two things, neither of which you had: I have given you a share of your wealth when I take your life, to cleanse and purify you by it; and My servants pray for you after your appointed time has ended.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad narrated to us: Wakīʿ narrated to us, from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: I wish people would reduce the bequest from one-third to one-quarter, because the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “One-third is substantial”—or he said, “a lot.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us: Yazīd ibn Hārūn informed us: Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah informed us, from Qatādah, from Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ghanm, from ʿAmr ibn Khārijah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed them while mounted on his she-camel. She was chewing her cud and her saliva ran between my shoulders. He said: “God has assigned every heir his share of the inheritance, so no bequest may be made for an heir. The child belongs to the marital bed, and the adulterer gets the stone. Whoever claims descent from someone other than his father, or takes as patrons people other than his own patrons, upon him is the curse of God, the angels, and all people. No compensation or substitute will be accepted from him”—or he said, “No substitute or compensation.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hishām ibn ʿAmmār narrated to us: Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated to us: Shuraḥbīl ibn Muslim al-Khawlānī narrated to us: I heard Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī say: I heard the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, say in his sermon during the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage: “God has given every rights-holder his due. There is to be no bequest for an heir.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hishām ibn ʿAmmār narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Shuʿayb ibn Shābūr narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yazīd ibn Jābir narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd, who told him from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: I was beneath the she-camel of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and its saliva was dripping on me. I heard him say: “God has given every rights-holder his due. Indeed, there is to be no bequest for an heir.”