The Book of Wills

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us: Jarir informed us, from 'Ata' ibn as-Sa'ib, from Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman, from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visited me during my illness and asked, ‘Have you made a bequest?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘How much?’ I said, ‘All my wealth, to be spent in the cause of Allah.’ He asked, ‘What have you left for your children?’ I said, ‘They are well provided for.’ He said, ‘Bequeath one-tenth.’ We kept discussing it—he would say something and I would respond—until he said, ‘Bequeath one-third, and one-third is much’—or ‘great.’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us: Waki' narrated to us: Hisham ibn 'Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from Sa'd, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited him during his illness. Sa'd said, ‘Messenger of Allah, may I bequeath all my wealth?’ He said, ‘No.’ Sa'd asked, ‘Then half?’ He said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Then one-third?’ He said, ‘One-third—and one-third is much’—or ‘great.’

Muhammad ibn al-Walid al-Fahham reported to us: Muhammad ibn Rabi'ah narrated to us: Hisham ibn 'Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from 'A'ishah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit Sa'd during his illness. Sa'd said, ‘Messenger of Allah, may I bequeath two-thirds of my wealth?’ He said, ‘No.’ Sa'd asked, ‘Then half?’ He said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Then one-third?’ He said, ‘Yes, one-third—and one-third is much’—or ‘great.’ He added, ‘Leaving your heirs well provided for is better than leaving them poor, holding out their hands to others.’

Qutaybah ibn Sa'id reported to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: If people were to reduce their bequests to one-quarter, that would be better, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘One-third—and one-third is much’—or ‘great.’

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna reported to us: Hajjaj ibn al-Minhall narrated to us: Hammam narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Yunus ibn Jubayr, from Muhammad ibn Sa'd, from his father, Sa'd ibn Malik, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to him while he was ill. He said, ‘I have no children except one daughter. May I bequeath all my wealth?’ The Prophet said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Then half of it?’ The Prophet said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Then one-third of it?’ He said, ‘One-third—and one-third is much.’

Al-Qasim ibn Zakariyya ibn Dinar reported to us: 'Ubaydullah narrated to us, from Shayban, from Firas, from ash-Sha'bi, who said: Jabir ibn 'Abdullah told me that his father was martyred on the day of Uhud, leaving six daughters and a debt owed by him. When the date harvest came, I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘You know that my father was martyred at Uhud and left a large debt. I would like the creditors to see you.’ He said, ‘Go and make separate piles of each kind of date.’ I did so, then called him. When the creditors saw him, it seemed they turned against me at that moment. When he saw what they were doing, he walked around the largest pile three times, then sat on it and said, ‘Call your companions.’ He kept measuring out dates for them until Allah discharged my father's debt. I was content for Allah to discharge my father's debt, even though not a single date was missing.

'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Sallam reported to us: Ishaq—meaning al-Azraq—narrated to us: Zakariyya narrated to us, from ash-Sha'bi, from Jabir, that his father died owing a debt. I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, my father died owing a debt and left nothing but what his date palms produce. Their yield will not cover what he owed for several years. Come with me, Messenger of Allah, so the creditors will not be too hard on me.’ The Messenger of Allah went from pile to pile, greeted them and supplicated for their blessing, then sat on each pile. He called the creditors and paid them in full; what remained was as much as they had taken.

'Ali ibn Hujr reported to us: Jarir narrated to us, from Mughayrah, from ash-Sha'bi, from Jabir, who said: 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Haram died leaving a debt. I sought the Messenger of Allah's intercession with his creditors, asking them to waive part of the debt. He requested this of them, but they refused. The Prophet said to me, ‘Go and sort your dates by type: keep the 'ajwah separate, the Ibn Zayd bunch separate, and the other varieties in their own groups. Then send for me.’ I did so. The Messenger of Allah came and sat at the end of the piles—or in their middle—and said, ‘Measure them out for the people.’ I measured them for them until I had paid them in full, and my dates remained as though none had been taken from them.

Ibrahim ibn Yunus ibn Muhammad—Harami—reported to us: My father narrated to us: Hammad narrated to us, from 'Ammar ibn Abi 'Ammar, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: A Jewish man was owed dates by my father. My father was killed at Uhud and left two gardens, and the dates owed to the Jew would take all the produce from both gardens. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Would you take half this year and defer the other half?’ The Jew refused. The Prophet then said, ‘Would you take the harvest?’ He told me, ‘Let me know,’ and I informed him. He came with Abu Bakr, and they harvested and measured the dates from the lower parts of the palms while the Messenger of Allah supplicated for blessing. We paid the Jew his full due from the smaller of the two gardens—as 'Ammar reckoned it. Then I brought them fresh dates and water. They ate and drank, and he said, ‘This is a blessing about which you will be questioned.’

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna reported to us, narrating from 'Abd al-Wahhab: 'Ubaydullah narrated to us, from Wahb ibn Kaysan, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: My father died owing a debt. I offered his creditors the harvest in payment of what he owed, but they refused, since they did not think it would cover the debt. I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him. He said, ‘When you harvest the dates and put them in the drying yard, let me know.’ After I had harvested them and placed them there, I went to the Messenger of Allah. He came with Abu Bakr and 'Umar, sat on the dates, and prayed for blessing. Then he said, ‘Call your creditors and pay them in full.’ I paid everyone to whom my father owed anything, and thirteen wasqs remained for me. I told him, and he smiled and said, ‘Go to Abu Bakr and 'Umar and tell them.’ I went and told them, and they said, ‘We knew, when the Messenger of Allah did what he did, that this would happen.’

Qutaybah ibn Sa'id reported to us: Abu 'Awanah narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ghanm, from 'Amr ibn Kharijah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon and said: ‘Allah has given everyone with a right their due, and there is no bequest for an heir.’

Isma'il ibn Mas'ud reported to us: Khalid narrated to us: Sa'id narrated to us: Qatadah narrated to us, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, that Ibn Ghanm mentioned that Ibn Kharijah told him he had seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressing the people from atop his mount. The animal was chewing its cud, and its saliva was dripping. In his sermon the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah has allotted every person his share of the inheritance, so no bequest may be made to an heir.’

'Utbah ibn 'Abdullah al-Marwazi reported to us: 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak informed us: Isma'il ibn Abi Khalid informed us, from Qatadah, from 'Amr ibn Kharijah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Allah—exalted is His name—has given everyone with a right their due, and there is no bequest for an heir.’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us: Jarir narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When the verse ‘Warn your nearest relatives’ was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) summoned Quraysh, and they gathered. He addressed them generally and then specifically, saying: ‘Children of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy! Children of Murrah ibn Ka'b! Children of 'Abd Shams! Children of 'Abd Manaf! Children of Hashim! Children of 'Abd al-Muttalib! Save yourselves from the Fire! Fatimah, save yourself from the Fire! I can avail you nothing before Allah, except that you are my kin, and I will uphold those ties of kinship.’

Ahmad ibn Sulayman reported to us: 'Ubaydullah ibn Musa reported to us: Isra'il informed us, from Mu'awiyah—meaning Ibn Ishaq—from Musa ibn Talhah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Children of 'Abd Manaf, ransom yourselves from your Lord; I can avail you nothing before Allah. Children of 'Abd al-Muttalib, ransom yourselves from your Lord; I can avail you nothing before Allah. But between me and you are ties of kinship, which I will keep joined.’

Sulayman ibn Dawud reported to us: Ibn Wahb said: Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman informed me, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When the verse ‘Warn your nearest relatives’ was revealed to him, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘People of Quraysh, secure yourselves before Allah; I can avail you nothing before Allah. Children of 'Abd al-Muttalib, I can avail you nothing before Allah. 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, I can avail you nothing before Allah. Safiyyah, the Messenger of Allah's paternal aunt, I can avail you nothing before Allah. Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me for whatever you wish; I can avail you nothing before Allah.’

Muhammad ibn Khalid reported to us: Bishr ibn Shu'ayb narrated to us, from his father, from az-Zuhri, who said: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman informed me that Abu Hurayrah said: When the verse ‘Warn your nearest relatives’ was revealed to him, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood and said: ‘People of Quraysh, secure yourselves before Allah; I can avail you nothing before Allah. Children of 'Abd Manaf, I can avail you nothing before Allah. 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, I can avail you nothing before Allah. Safiyyah, the Messenger of Allah's paternal aunt, I can avail you nothing before Allah. Fatimah, ask me for whatever you wish; I can avail you nothing before Allah.’

It was narrated that Aishah said: When this verse was revealed—‘Warn your nearest kindred’—the Messenger of Allah said: ‘O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad; O Safiyyah, daughter of Abd al-Muttalib; O sons of Abd al-Muttalib, I cannot avail you in any way before Allah. Ask me for whatever you wish from my wealth.’

It was narrated from Aishah that a man said to the Messenger of Allah: ‘My mother died suddenly. Had she been able to speak, she would have given charity. Should I give charity on her behalf?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ So the man gave charity on her behalf.

It was narrated from Sa'id bin Amr bin Shurahbil bin Sa'id bin Sa'd bin Ubadah, from his father, that his grandfather said: Sa'd bin Ubadah went with the Prophet on one of his campaigns, while his mother was nearing death in Medina. She was told, ‘Make a bequest.’ She replied, ‘To whom should I make a bequest? The wealth belongs to Sa'd.’ She died before Sa'd returned. When he came back, he was told what had happened and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will it benefit her if I give charity on her behalf?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Yes.’ Sa'd then said, ‘This garden is charity on her behalf,’ naming a particular garden.