"I entered upon 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. (Then) Uthman bin 'Affan, Az-Zubair, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Awf, and Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas entered. Then 'Ali and Al-'Abbas came disputing. 'Umar said to them: ' I ask you, by Allah the One by Whose Will the heavens and the earth are maintained, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "We are not inherited from, what we leave is charity?" They said: 'Yes.' 'Umar said: 'When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, Abu Bakr said: "I am the caretaker of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)" So you and he went to Abu Bakr and you sought your inheritance from the son of your brother, and he sought the inheritance of his wife from her father. So Abu Bakr said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "We are not inherited from, what we leave is charity." And Allah knows that he is truthful, innocent, instructing and following the truth.'"
[Abu 'Eisa said:] There is a lengthy story along with the Hadith. And this Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib as a narration of Malik bin Anas.
The Book on Military Expeditions
Jami' at-Tirmidhi - Hadith 1610
Contextual Analysis
This narration from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab establishes the fundamental principle that prophets leave no inheritance, a matter of significant legal and theological importance in Islamic jurisprudence.
The presence of major companions like 'Uthman, Az-Zubair, 'Abdur-Rahman, and Sa'd lends immense weight to this testimony, demonstrating communal consensus on this ruling.
Legal Ruling Explained
The phrase "We are not inherited from" means the property of prophets is not distributed according to standard inheritance laws but becomes public charity (sadaqah) for the benefit of the Muslim community.
This ruling applies exclusively to prophets, distinguishing their status from ordinary Muslims whose wealth follows standard inheritance distribution.
Historical Verification
'Umar's emphatic oath "by Allah the One by Whose Will the heavens and earth are maintained" underscores the critical importance and certainty of this ruling.
The immediate acceptance by 'Ali and al-'Abbas, despite their initial dispute, confirms the established and uncontested nature of this prophetic teaching.
Chain of Transmission
At-Tirmidhi's grading of this hadith as "Hasan Sahih Gharib" through Malik bin Anas indicates its authenticity is sound though rare in this particular transmission chain.
The mention of Abu Bakr's immediate implementation of this ruling after the Prophet's death demonstrates its continuous practice from the earliest Islamic period.