The Book of Wills

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "A man came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what kind of charity brings the greatest reward?' He said: 'To give in charity when you are healthy and feeling miserly, and fearing poverty and hoping for a long life. Do not wait until the (death rattle) reaches the throat and then say: "This is for so and so," and it nearly became the property of so and so (the heirs).'"

It was narrated that 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'For whom among you is the wealth of his heirs dearer to him than his own wealth?' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, there is no one among us for whom his own wealth is not dearer to him than the wealth of his heirs.' The Messenger of Allah said: 'Know that there is no one among you for whom the wealth of his heirs is not dearer than his own wealth. Your wealth is that which you have sent on ahead, and the wealth of your heirs is that which you have kept.'"

It was narrated from Mutarrif, from his father, that the Prophet said: "The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you, 'Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).' The son of Adam says: 'My wealth, my wealth,' but your wealth is what you eat and consume, or what you wear and it wears out, or what you give in charity and send on ahead (for the Hereafter).'"

Abu Habibah At-Ta'i said: "A man made a will leaving some Dinars (to be spent) in the cause of Allah. Abu Ad-Darda' was asked about that, and he narrated that the Prophet said: 'The likeness of the one who frees a slave or gives some charity when he is dying, is that of a man who gives a gift after he has eaten his fill.'"

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'It is not befitting for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for two nights without having a written will with him.'"

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: "It is not befitting for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for two nights without having a written will with him."

(The same) was narrated from Ibn 'Awn, from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar.

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Prophet said: "It is not befitting for a Muslim to abide for three nights without having his will with him." 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "Since I heard this from the Messenger of Allah, I have always had my will with me."

It was narrated from Salim bin 'Abdullah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said: "It is not right for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for more than three nights without having a written will with him."

Talha said: "I asked Ibn Abi Awfa: 'Did the Messenger of Allah leave a will?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'How come it is prescribed for the Muslims to make wills?' He said: 'He left instructions urging the Muslims to adhere to the Book of Allah.'"

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah did not leave behind a Dinar or a Dirham, or a sheep or a camel, and he did not leave any will."

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah did not leave behind a Dirham or a Dinar, or a sheep or a camel, and he did not leave any will."

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah did not leave behind a Dirham or a Dinar, or a sheep or a camel, and he did not leave any will." Ja'far did not mention "Dinar or Dirham."

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "They say that the Messenger of Allah made a will concerning 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. But he called for a vessel in which to urinate, then he went limp without me realizing it. So to whom did he leave a will?"

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah died when no one was with him except me." She said: "And he called for a vessel."

It was narrated from 'Amir bin Sa'd that his father said: "I became ill with a sickness from which I later recovered. The Messenger of Allah came to visit me, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I have a great deal of wealth and I have no heir except my daughter. Shall I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Give) one-third, and one-third is a lot. It is better to leave your heirs independent of means, than to leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'"

It was narrated that Sa'd said: "The Prophet came to visit me when I was in Makkah. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my money?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Bequeath) one-third, and one-third is a lot. If you leave your heirs independent of means, that is better than if you leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'"

It was narrated from 'Amir bin Sa'd that his father said: "The Prophet used to visit him when he was in Makkah, and he did not want to die in the land from which he had emigrated. The Prophet said: 'May Allah have mercy on Sa'd bin 'Afra.' He had only one daughter, and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my wealth?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: 'One-third, and one-third is a lot. For you to leave your heirs independent of means is better than if you were to leave them poor, holding out their hands to people.'"

One from the family of Sa'd narrated: "Sa'd fell sick and the Messenger of Allah entered upon him and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my money?' He said: 'No.'" And he quoted the same Hadith.

'Amir bin Sa'd (narrated) from his father that he fell sick in Makkah and the Messenger of Allah came to him. When Sa'd saw him, he wept and said: "O Messenger of Allah, am I to die in the land from which I emigrated?" He said: "No, if Allah wills." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all of my wealth in the cause of Allah?" He said: "No." He said: "Two-thirds?" He said: "No." He said: "Half of it?" He said: "No." He said: "One-third of it?" The Messenger of Allah said: "One-third, and one-third is a lot. If you leave your sons independent of means that is better than if you leave them poor, holding out their hands to people."

It was narrated that Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas said: "The Messenger of Allah visited me when I was sick, and said: 'Have you made a will?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'How much?' I said: 'For all my wealth to be given in the cause of Allah.' He said: 'What have you left for your children?' I said: 'They are rich (independent of means).' He said: 'Bequeath one-tenth.' And we kept discussing it until he said: 'Bequeath one-third, and one-third is much or large.'"

It was narrated from Sa'd that the Prophet visited him when he was sick, and he said: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all of my wealth?" He said: "No." He said: "Half?" He said: "No." He said: "One-third?" He said: "One-third, and one-third is much or large."

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah came to visit Sa'd (when he was sick). Sa'd said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath two-thirds of my wealth?" He said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath half?" He said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath one-third?" He said: "Yes, one-third, and one-third is much or large. If you leave your heirs independent of means that is better than if you leave them poor, holding out their hands."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "If the people were to reduce (their bequests) to one-quarter (of their wealth, that would be better), because the Messenger of Allah said: 'One-third, and one-third is much or large.'"

It was narrated from Muhammad bin Sa'd, from his father Sa'd bin Malik, that the Prophet came to him when he was sick and he said: "I do not have any children apart from one daughter. Shall I bequeath all my wealth?" The Prophet said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath half of it?" The Prophet said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath one-third of it?" He said: "One-third, and one-third is much or large."

Jabir bin 'Abdullah narrated that his father was martyred on the Day of Uhud, and he left behind six daughters, and some outstanding debts. When the time to pick the dates came, I went to the Messenger of Allah and said: "You know that my father was martyred on the Day of Uhud and he left behind a great deal of debt. I would like the creditors to see you." He said: "Go and pile up the dates in separate heaps." I did that, then I called him. When they saw him, it was as if they started to put pressure on me at that time. When he saw what they were doing, he went around the biggest heap three times, then he sat on it then said: "Call your companions (the creditors)." Then he kept on weighing them out for them, until Allah cleared all my father's debts. I am pleased that Allah cleared my father's debts without even a single date being missed.

It was narrated from Jabir that his father died owing debts. "I came to the Prophet and said: '(O Messenger of Allah!) My father has died owing debts, and he has not left anything but what his date-palms produce. What his date-palms produce will not pay off his debts for years. Come with me, O Messenger of Allah, so that the creditors will not be harsh with me.' The Messenger of Allah went to each heap, saying Salams and supplicating for it, then sitting on it. He called the creditors and paid them off, and what was left was as much as what they had taken."

It was narrated that Jabir said: "Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Haram died, leaving behind debts. I asked the Messenger of Allah to intercede with his creditors so that they would waive part of the debt. He asked them to do that but they refused. The Prophet said to me: 'Go and sort your dates into their different kinds: The 'Ajwah on one side, the cluster of Ibn Zaid on another side, and so on. Then send for me.' I did that, then the Messenger of Allah came and sat at the head or in the middle of the heaps. Then he said: 'Measure them out for the people.' So I measured them out for them until I had paid them all off, and my dates were left as if nothing had been taken from them."

It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said: "My father owed some dates to a Jew. He was killed on the Day of Uhud and he left behind two gardens. The dates owed to the Jew would take up everything in the two gardens. The Prophet said: 'Can you take half this year and half next year?' But the Jew refused. The Prophet said: 'When the time to pick the dates comes, call me.' So I called him and he came, accompanied by Abu Bakr. The dates were picked and weighed from the lowest part of the palm trees, and the Messenger of Allah was praying for blessing, until we paid off everything that we owed him from the smaller of the two gardens, as calculated by 'Ammar. Then I brought them some fresh dates and water and they ate and drank, then he said: 'This is part of the blessing concerning which you will be questioned.'"

It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said: "My father died owing debts. I offered to his creditors that they could take the fruits in lieu of what he owed them, but they refused as they thought that it would not cover the debt. I went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about that, he said: 'When you pick the dates and have put them in the Mirbad (place for drying dates), call me.' When I had picked the dates and put them in the Mirbad, I went to the Messenger of Allah and he came, accompanied by Abu Bakr and 'Umar. He sat on (the dates) and prayed for blessing. Then he said: 'Call your creditors and pay them off.' I did not leave anyone to whom my father owed anything but I paid him off, and I had thirteen Wasqs left over. I mentioned that to him and he smiled and said: 'Go to Abu Bakr and 'Umar and tell them about that.' So I went to Abu Bakr and 'Umar and told them about that, and they said: 'We knew, when the Messenger of Allah did what he did, that this would happen.'"