[Machine] "My son will be and I will not be his father. This is a popular proverb that he may not understand the days of his life, except that he is a good envoy."  

يَكُونَ ابْنِي وَلَا أَكُونَ أَبَاهُ هَذَا مُرْسَلٌ الشَّعْبِيُّ لَمْ يُدْرِكْ أَيَّامَ عُمَرَ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ مُرْسَلٌ جَيِّدٌ  

[Machine] Umar is not a revelation in which we increase and decrease. It is only something we see, so if you see it and agree with me, you will follow it. Otherwise, you have nothing to do with it." Zaid refused and left angrily. He said, "I came to you thinking that you would be free from me, and then he came to him again at the same time as the first time. He continued with him until he said, "I will write to you about it." He wrote it on a piece of palm tree bark and gave him an example. His example is like a tree that grows on one root, and a branch came out of it, and then another branch came out of the first branch. The root waters the branch, so if the first branch is cut off, the water returns to the second branch, and if you cut off the second branch, the water returns to the first. So he brought it and Umar addressed the people. Then he read the piece of bark to them and said, "Zaid bin Thabit has said something about the matter, and I have approved it." He said, "This was the first matter. He wanted to take all the money of his grandson and leave it to his brothers. After that, Umar distributed it according to the decision."  

عُمَرُ ؓ لَيْسَ هُوَ بِوَحْيٍ حَتَّى نَزِيدَ فِيهِ وَنَنْقُصَ مِنْهُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْءٌ نَرَاهُ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَهُ وَافَقَنِي تَبِعْتَهُ وَإِلَّا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْكَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَأَبَى زَيْدٌ فَخَرَجَ مُغْضَبًا قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكَ وَأَنَا أَظُنُّكَ سَتَفْرُغُ مِنْ حَاجَتِي ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فِي السَّاعَةِ الَّتِي أَتَاهُ الْمَرَّةَ الْأُولَى فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتَّى قَالَ فَسَأَكْتُبُ لَكَ فِيهِ فَكَتَبَهُ فِي قِطْعَةِ قَتَبٍ وَضَرَبَ لَهُ مَثَلًا إِنَّمَا مَثَلُهُ مَثَلُ شَجَرَةٍ نَبَتَتْ عَلَى سَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ فَخَرَجَ فِيهَا غُصْنٌ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فِي الْغُصْنِ غُصْنٌ آخَرُ فَالسَّاقُ يَسْقِي الْغُصْنَ فَإِنْ قُطِعَ الْغُصْنُ الْأَوَّلُ رَجَعَ الْمَاءُ إِلَى الْغُصْنِ يَعْنِي الثَّانِي وَإِنْ قَطَعْتَ الثَّانِي رَجَعَ الْمَاءُ إِلَى الْأَوَّلِ فَأَتَى بِهِ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ قِطْعَةَ الْقَتَبِ عَلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ قَدْ قَالَ فِي الْجَدِّ قَوْلًا وَقَدْ أَمْضَيْتُهُ قَالَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ جَدٍّ كَانَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الْمَالَ كُلَّهُ مَالَ ابْنِ ابْنِهِ دُونَ إِخْوَتِهِ فَقَسَمَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ  

[Machine] That the grandfather is closer than the brothers, so our conversation continued until I gave him an example of some of his children's inheritance from each other, so he approached me angrily and said, "By Allah, if I had judged today between some of them in favor of some over others, I would have judged in favor of the grandfather and I would have thought that he deserved it, but perhaps they have rights, and perhaps I don't disappoint any of them, and I will surely decide between them if Allah wills it, according to what I see on that day." I considered it and sought forgiveness from Allah that this is the last conversation I had with Amir al-Mu'minin Umar about the matter of the grandfather and the brothers. Then I thought that he used to divide after them. Then Amir al-Mu'minin Uthman ibn Affan made a decision between the grandfather and the brothers similar to what I wrote to you in this document, and I thought that I understood that from what I witnessed of their judgments, and others added more to it than Ibn Abi al-Zinad and his father from Kharijah ibn Zaid from his father that when Umar ibn Al-Khattab consulted them about the inheritance of the grandfather and the brothers, Zaid said, and my opinion at that time was that the brothers are more entitled to their brother's inheritance than the grandfather, and Umar ibn Al-Khattab sees that the grandfather is more entitled to his grandson's inheritance than his brothers. Zaid said, so I gave Umar an example of that, and I said to him, "If a tree branched out from its root, and then a branch branched out from that branch, that branch connects the two branches without the root and nourishes them. Don't you see, O Amir al-Mu'minin, that one of the branches is closer to its brother than it is to the root?" Zaid said, I gave him an example of the root of the tree as an example of the grandfather, and I gave an example of the branch that branched out from the root as an example of the father, and I gave an example of the two branches that branched out from the branch as an example of the brothers.  

أَنَّ الْجَدَّ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ مِنَ الْإِخْوَةِ فَطَالَ تَحَاوُرُنَا فِيهِ حَتَّى ضَرَبْتُ لَهُ بَعْضَ بَنِيهِ مَثَلًا بِمِيرَاثِ بَعْضِهِمْ دُونَ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ كَالْمُغْتَاظِ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَوْ أَنِّي قَضَيْتُ الْيَوْمَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ دُونَ بَعْضٍ لَقَضَيْتُهُ لِلْجَدِّ وَلَرَأَيْتُ أَنَّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَعَلَّهُمْ أَنْ يَكُونُوا ذَوِي حَقٍّ وَلَعَلِّي لَا أُخَيِّبُ سَهْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَسَوْفَ أَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ تَعَالَى نَحْوَ الَّذِي أَرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ فَحَسِبْتُهُ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آخِرِ كَلَامٍ حَاوَرْتُ فِيهِ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمَرَ فِي شَأْنِ الْجَدِّ وَالْإِخْوَةِ ثُمَّ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقْسِمُ بَعْدَهُمْ ثُمَّ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ ؓ بَيْنَ الْجَدِّ وَالْإِخْوَةِ نَحْوَ الَّذِي كَتَبْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْكَ فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ وَحَسِبْتُ أَنِّي قَدْ وَعَيْتُ ذَلِكَ فِيمَا حَضَرْتُ مِنْ قَضَائِهِمَا وَزَادَ فِيهِ غَيْرُهُ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ خَارِجَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ لَمَّا اسْتَشَارَهُمْ فِي مِيرَاثِ الْجَدِّ وَالْإِخْوَةِ قَالَ زَيْدٌ وَكَانَ رَأْيِي يَوْمَئِذٍ أَنَّ الْإِخْوَةَ هُمْ أَوْلَى بِمِيرَاثِ أَخِيهِمْ مِنَ الْجَدِّ وَعُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ أَنَّ الْجَدَّ أَوْلَى بِمِيرَاثِ ابْنِ ابْنِهِ مِنْ إِخْوَتِهِ قَالَ زَيْدٌ فَضَرَبْتُ لِعُمَرَ ؓ فِي ذَلِكَ مَثَلًا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَوْ أَنَّ شَجَرَةً تَشَعَّبَ مِنْ أَصْلِهَا غُصْنٌ ثُمَّ تَشَعَّبَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْغُصْنِ خُوطَانِ ذَلِكَ الْغُصْنُ يَجْمَعُ ذَيْنِكَ الْخُوطَيْنِ دُونَ الْأَصْلِ وَيَغْذُوهُمَا أَلَا تَرَى يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّ أَحَدَ الْخُوطَيْنِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى أَخِيهِ مِنْهُ إِلَى الْأَصْلِ؟ قَالَ زَيْدٌ أَضْرِبُ لَهُ أَصْلَ الشَّجَرَةِ مَثَلًا لِلْجَدِّ وَأَضْرِبُ الْغُصْنَ الَّذِي تَشَعَّبَ مِنَ الْأَصْلِ مَثَلًا لِلْأَبِ وَأَضْرِبُ الْخُوطَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ تَشَعَّبَا مِنَ الْغُصْنِ مَثَلًا لِلْإِخْوَةِ  

[Machine] They made preference of the cousin over the brother, and Umar disliked talking about it. But when Umar became old, he said, "This is a matter that has happened. People must know about it." So he sent a message to Zaid ibn Thabit and asked him. Zaid said, "It was the opinion of Abu Bakr that we should give preference to the cousin over the brother." Umar said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, do not make a tree that has grown and branched out from it a branch, and then another branch branches out from that branch. Which branch should be given preference, the first branch or the second branch, when the branch has already come out of the original branch?" Umar then sent a message to Ali and asked him. Ali said to him, "Just as Zaid said, except that he made an overflowing river and from it a branch grew, and then two branches grew from it. He asked, 'What if this middle branch returns, wouldn't it go back to both branches?' Umar stood up and addressed the people, saying, 'Is there anyone among you who heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioning the preference in a matter?' A man stood up and said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mention a matter in which preference was mentioned, and he gave him one-third.' Umar asked, 'Who was with him among the heirs?' The man said, 'I don't know.' Umar said, 'You didn't know.' Then he addressed the people again, saying, 'Has anyone among you heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mention the preference in a matter?' A man stood up and said, 'I heard the Prophet ﷺ mention a matter in which preference was mentioned, and he gave him one-sixth.' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, 'Who was with him among the heirs?' The man said, 'I don't know.' Umar said, 'You didn't know.' Al-Sha'bi said, 'Zaid ibn Thabit made him a brother until he reached the age of three, he is their third. When they exceed that, he gives them one-third. And Ali ibn Abi Talib made him a brother until he reaches the age of six, he is their sixth. When they exceed that, he gives them one-sixth.'  

يَجْعَلَا الْجَدَّ أَوْلَى مِنَ الْأَخِ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَكْرَهُ الْكَلَامَ فِيهِ فَلَمَّا صَارَ عُمَرُ جَدًّا قَالَ هَذَا أَمْرٌ قَدْ وَقَعَ لَا بُدَّ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ مَعْرِفَتِهِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ كَانَ مِنْ رَأْيِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ أَنْ نَجْعَلَ الْجَدَّ أَوْلَى مِنَ الْأَخِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَا تَجْعَلْ شَجَرَةً نَبَتَتْ فَانْشَعَبَ مِنْهَا غُصْنٌ فَانْشَعَبَ فِي الْغُصْنِ غُصْنٌ فَمَا يُجْعَلُ الْغُصْنُ الْأَوَّلُ أَوْلَى مِنَ الْغُصْنِ الثَّانِي وَقَدْ خَرَجَ الْغُصْنُ مِنَ الْغُصْنِ؟ قَالَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ كَمَا قَالَ زَيْدٌ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ جَعَلَ سَيْلًا سَالَ فَانْشَعَبَتْ مِنْهُ شُعْبَةٌ ثُمَّ انْشَعَبَتْ مِنْهُ شُعْبَتَانِ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الشُّعْبَةَ الْوُسْطَى رَجَعَ أَلَيْسَ إِلَى الشُّعْبَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا؟ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ ؓ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ هَلْ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَذْكُرُ الْجَدَّ فِي فَرِيضَةٍ؟ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ ذُكِرَتْ لَهُ فَرِيضَةٌ فِيهَا ذِكْرُ الْجَدِّ فَأَعْطَاهُ الثُّلُثَ فَقَالَ مَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْوَرَثَةِ؟ قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ لَا دَرَيْتَ ثُمَّ خَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ هَلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ ذَكَرَ الْجَدَّ فِي فَرِيضَةٍ؟ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ ذُكِرَتْ لَهُ فَرِيضَةٌ فِيهَا ذِكْرُ الْجَدِّ فَأَعْطَاهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ السُّدُسَ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْوَرَثَةِ؟ قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ لَا دَرَيْتَ قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ وَكَانَ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ يَجْعَلُهُ أَخًا حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ ثَلَاثَةً هُوَ ثَالِثُهُمْ فَإِذَا زَادُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَعْطَاهُ الثُّلُثَ وَكَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ يَجْعَلُهُ أَخًا حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ سِتَّةً هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ فَإِذَا زَادُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَعْطَاهُ السُّدُسَ  

[Machine] He said, then Zaid said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful), do not make a tree that has sprouted a branch, which then sprouted another branch from it, equal to the first branch. And yet, the two branches came from the first branch. So, he sent for Ali and asked him. Ali said, as Zaid said, except that Ali made it like a flowing river that flows, and a branch sprouted from it, and then two branches sprouted from it. Ali said, "Do you see if the water from this middle branch dries up, does it return to the two branches together?" Abu Bakr al-Ardastani informed us, Abu Nasr al-Iraqi informed us, Sufyan ibn Muhammad informed us, Ali ibn al-Hasan informed us, Abdullah ibn al-Walid mentioned it. The sheikh said, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud used to draw comparisons between ancestry, brothers, and sisters, either from the father and mother or from the father alone.  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ زَيْدٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَا تَجْعَلْ شَجَرَةً نَبَتَتْ فَانْشَعَبَ مِنْهَا غُصْنٌ فَانْشَعَبَ فِي الْغُصْنِ غُصْنَانِ فَمَا جَعَلَ الْأَوَّلَ أَوْلَى مِنَ الثَّانِي وَقَدْ خَرَجَ الْغُصْنَانِ مِنَ الْغُصْنِ الْأَوَّلِ؟ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ ؓ كَمَا قَالَ لِزَيْدٍ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ كَمَا قَالَ زَيْدٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ عَلِيًّا جَعَلَهُ سَيْلًا سَالَ فَانْشَعَبَتْ مِنْهُ شُعْبَةٌ ثُمَّ انْشَعَبَتْ مِنْهُ شُعْبَتَانِ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ مَاءَ هَذِهِ الشُّعْبَةِ الْوُسْطَى يَبُسَ أَكَانَ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى الشُّعْبَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا أَخْبَرَنَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْأَرْدَسْتَانِيُّ ثنا أَبُو نَصْرٍ الْعِرَاقِيُّ ثنا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَذَكَرَهُ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ يُشْرِكُ بَيْنَ الْجَدِّ وَالْإِخْوَةِ وَالْأَخَوَاتِ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ أَوْ لِأَبٍ