Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2116

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

Ibn Abi ‘Umar narrated to us; Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Amir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, from his father, who said: I fell gravely ill in the year of the Conquest, nearing death. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me. I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I have considerable wealth and only my daughter will inherit from me. May I bequeath all my wealth?’ He said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘Two-thirds?’ He said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘Half?’ He said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘A third?’ He replied, ‘A third—and a third is much. It is better to leave your heirs well-off than to leave them dependent, begging from people. Whatever you spend will be rewarded, even a morsel you raise to your wife’s mouth.’

I said, ‘Will I be left behind after my emigration?’ He said, ‘You will not remain behind and do any deed seeking Allah’s countenance without thereby increasing in rank and degree. Perhaps you will remain, so that some people benefit through you and others are harmed through you. O Allah, complete my Companions’ emigration and do not turn them back on their heels. But how pitiable is Sa‘d ibn Khawlah!’ The Messenger of Allah grieved that he had died in Makkah. Abu ‘Isa said: There is also a report on this topic from Ibn ‘Abbas. This is a hasan sahih hadith, narrated by more than one route from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas. Scholars act according to this report: a person may not bequeath more than one-third, and some scholars recommended bequeathing less than one-third, because the Messenger of Allah said, ‘A third is much.’