‘Umar said, “Learn the rules of inheritance,” Ibn Mas'ud adding, “of divorce and of the pilgrimage,” and both saying, “for it pertains to your religion.” Darimi transmitted it.

Wills.Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “It is the duty of a Muslim man who has something which is to be given as a bequest not to have it for two nights without having his will written regarding it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

During an illness which brought me near to death in the year of the Conquest God’s Messenger came to visit me and I said, “Messenger of God, I have a large amount of property and my daughter is my only heir. Shall I will away all my property ?” He replied, ‘No” I suggested two-thirds, but he objected, then a half, but he still objected. When I suggested a third he replied, “You may will away a third, but that is a lot*. To leave your heirs rich is better than to leave them poor and begging from people. You will not spend anything, seeking thereby to please God, without being rewarded for it, even the mouthful you give your wife.” *While this tradition tells that the Prophet gave permission for a man to will away a third of his estate to some person or purpose other than the heirs, it indicates that be thought it would be better not to will away so much.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

God’s Messenger visited me when I was ill and asked whether I had made my will. I replied that I had. He asked how much I had willed and when I told him I had willed all my property away to be devoted to God’s path he asked how much I had left my children. I replied that they were rich and prosperous, whereupon he told me to will away a tenth ; but I kept on telling him it was too little till he finally said, “Will away a third, but a third is a lot.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

“The child is attributed to the mother’s husband, but the adulterer gets nothing, and their reckoning is in God’s hands.”

It is related in munqati’ form on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet said, “No legacy is to be left to an heir unless the other heirs are agreeable.” This is the wording in al-Masabih, but in Daraqutni’s version he said, “A legacy to an heir is not allowable unless the other heirs are agreeable.”

“ A man and a woman act in obedience to God for sixty years then when they are about to die they cause injury by their will, so they must go to hell.” Then Abu Huraira recited, “After a legacy which you bequeathe or a debt, causing no injury ... that will be the mighty success”(Al-Qur’an 4:12). Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who dies leaving a will has died following a path and a sunna, he has died piously and testifying to the true faith, and he has died with his sins forgiven.”Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that al-‘As b. Wa’il left in his will that a hundred slaves should be emancipated on his behalf. His son Hisham emancipated fifty slaves and his son ‘Amr intended to emancipate the remaining fifty on his behalf, but decided first to ask God’s Messenger. He therefore went to the Prophet and said, “Messenger of God, my father left in his will that a hundred slaves should be emancipated on his behalf and Hisham has emancipated fifty on his behalf and fifty remain. Shall I emancipate them on his behalf?” God's Messenger replied, “Had he been a Muslim and you had emancipated slaves on his behalf, or given sadaqa on his behalf, or performed the pilgrimage on his behalf, that would have reached him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone deprives an heir of his inheritance, God will deprive him of his inheritance in paradise on the day of resurrection.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-lman on the authority of Abu Huraira.

'Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting, for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire.”*(Bukhari and Muslim.)* Waja' has been translated freely above. It means castration.

God’s Messenger objected to ‘Uthman b. Maz’un living in celibacy. If he had given him permission we would have had ourselves castrated. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A woman may be married for four reasons, for her property, her rank, her beauty and her religion; so get the one who is religious and prosper.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.)* Taribat yadaka literally, "may your hands cleave to the dust". It is explained as being used to encourage one to action, and so it has been translated above by "prosper.”

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The whole world is to be enjoyed, but the best thing in the world is a good woman.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The best of the women who ride on camels are the good women of Quraish, for they are the most affectionate to small children and the most careful of what belongs to their husbands.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Usama b. Zaid reported God's Messenger as saying, “I have not left behind me a trial more injurious to men than women.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The world is sweet and verdant, and God having put you in it in your turn watches how you act; so fear the world and fear women, for the first trial of the B. Isra’il had to do with women." Muslim transmitted it.

a woman, a dwelling and a beast."(Bukhari and Muslim.)

When we were near Medina on our return from an expedition in which we had accompanied the Prophet I told him that I had recently married. He asked, “Have you married?" and when I told him that I had, he asked whether I had married a virgin or a woman who had previously been married. On my telling him that it was one who had previously been married he said, “Why did you not marry a virgin with whom you could sport and who could sport with you?" Then when we arrived and were about to enter he said, “Wait so that we may enter by night, i.e. in the evening, in order that the woman with dishevelled hair may comb it and the woman whose husband has been away may get herself ready [for her husband’s enjoyment].’’* (Bukhari and Muslim.)* Tastahidd literally means to shave the hair on the private parts, and is explained as being used here in the sense or preparing herself for her husband’s enjoyment.