When Az-Zubair got up during the battle of Al-Jamal, he called me and I stood up beside him, and he said to me, "O my son! Today one will be killed either as an oppressor or as an oppressed one. I see that I will be killed as an oppressed one. My biggest worry is my debts. Do you think, if we pay the debts, there will be something left for us from our money?" Az-Zubair added, "O my son! Sell our property and pay my debts." Az-Zubair then willed one-third of his property and willed one-third of that portion to his sons; namely, ʿAbdullah's sons. He said, "One-third of the one third. If any property is left after the payment of the debts, one-third (of the one-third of what is left) is to be given to your sons." (Hisham, a sub-narrator added, "Some of the sons of ʿAbdullah were equal in age to the sons of Az-Zubair e.g. Khubaib and ʿAbbas. ʿAbdullah had nine sons and nine daughters at that time." (The narrator ʿAbdullah added:) My father (Az-Zubair) went on drawing my attention to his debts saying, "If you should fail to pay part of the debts, appeal to my Master to help you." By Allah! I could not understand what he meant till I asked, "O father! Who is your Master?" He replied, "Allah (is my Master)." By Allah, whenever I had any difficulty regarding his debts, I would say, "Master of Az-Zubair! Pay his debts on his behalf ." and Allah would (help me to) pay it. Az-Zubair was martyred leaving no Dinar or Dirham but two pieces of land, one of which was (called) Al-Ghaba, and eleven houses in Medina, two in Basra, one in Kufa and one in Egypt. In fact, the source of the debt which he owed was, that if somebody brought some money to deposit with him. Az-Zubair would say, "No, (i won't keep it as a trust), but I take it as a debt, for I am afraid it might be lost." Az-Zubair was never appointed governor or collector of the tax of Kharaj or any other similar thing, but he collected his wealth (from the war booty he gained) during the holy battles he took part in, in the company of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthman. (ʿAbdullah bin Az-Zubair added:) When I counted his debt, it turned to be two million and two hundred thousand. (The sub-narrator added:) Hakim bin Hizam met ʿAbdullah bin Zubair and asked, "O my nephew! How much is the debt of my brother?" ʿAbdullah kept it as a secret and said, "One hundred thousand," Hakim said, "By Allah! I don't think your property will cover it." On that ʿAbdullah said to him, "What if it is two million and two hundred thousand?" Hakim said, "I don't think you can pay it; so if you are unable to pay all of it, I will help you." Az- Zubair had already bought Al-Ghaba for one hundred and seventy thousand. ʿAbdullah sold it for one million and six hundred thousand. Then he called the people saying, "Any person who has any money claim on Az-Zubair should come to us in Al-Ghaba." There came to him ʿAbdullah bin Jaʿfar whom Az-Zubair owed four hundred thousand. He said to ʿAbdullah bin Az-Zubair, "If you wish I will forgive you the debt." ʿAbdullah (bin Az-Zubair) said, "No." Then Ibn Jaʿfar said, "If you wish you can defer the payment if you should defer the payment of any debt." Ibn Az-Zubair said, "No." ʿAbdullah bin Jaʿfar said, "Give me a piece of the land." ʿAbdullah bin AzZubair said (to him), "Yours is the land extending from this place to this place." So, ʿAbdullah bin Az-Zubair sold some of the property (including the houses) and paid his debt perfectly, retaining four and a half shares from the land (i.e. Al-Ghaba). He then went to Mu'awlya while ʿAmr bin ʿUthman, Al-Mundhir bin Az- Zubair and Ibn Zamʿa were sitting with him. Mu'awiya asked, "At what price have you appraised Al- Ghaba?" He said, "One hundred thousand for each share," Muawiya asked, "How many shares have been left?" ʿAbdullah replied, "Four and a half shares." Al-Mundhir bin Az-Zubair said, "I would like to buy one share for one hundred thousand." ʿAmr bin ʿUthman said, "I would like to buy one share for one hundred thousand." Ibn Zamʿa said, "I would like to buy one share for one hundred thousand." Muawiya said, "How much is left now?" ʿAbdullah replied, "One share and a half." Muawiya said, "I would like to buy it for one hundred and fifty thousand." ʿAbdullah also sold his part to Muawiya six hundred thousand. When Ibn AzZubair had paid all the debts. Az-Zubair's sons said to him, "Distribute our inheritance among us." He said, "No, by Allah, I will not distribute it among you till I announce in four successive Hajj seasons, 'Would those who have money claims on Az-Zubair come so that we may pay them their debt." So, he started to announce that in public in every Hajj season, and when four years had elapsed, he distributed the inheritance among the inheritors. Az-Zubair had four wives, and after the one-third of his property was excluded (according to the will), each of his wives received one million and two hundred thousand. So the total amount of his property was fifty million and two hundred thousand. (Using translation from Bukhārī 3129)
وَكَانَ بَعْضُ وَلَدِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَدْ وَازَى بَعْضَ بَنِي الزُّبَيْرِ خُبَيْبٌ وَعَبَّادٌ قَالَ وَلَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ سَبْعُ بَنَاتٍ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَجَعَلَ يُوصِينِي بِدَيْنِهِ وَيَقُولُ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنْ عَجَزْتَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِمَوْلَايَ قَالَ فَوَاللهِ مَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَرَادَ حَتَّى قُلْتُ يَا أَبَتِ مَنْ مَوْلَاكَ؟ قَالَ اللهُ قَالَ فَوَاللهِ مَا وَقَعْتُ فِي كُرْبَةٍ مِنْ دَيْنِهِ إِلَّا قُلْتُ يَا مَوْلَى الزُّبَيْرِ اقْضِ عَنْهُ فَيَقْضِيَهُ قَالَ وَقُتِلَ الزُّبَيْرُ وَلَمْ يَدَعْ دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا إِلَّا أَرَضِينَ مِنْهَا الْغَابَةُ وَأَحَدَ عَشَرَ دَارًا بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَدَارَيْنِ بِالْبَصْرَةِ وَدَارًا بِالْكُوفَةِ وَدَارًا بِمِصْرَ قَالَ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ دَيْنُهُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ بِالْمَالِ فَيَسْتَوْدِعُهُ إِيَّاهُ فَيَقُولُ الزُّبَيْرُ لَا وَلَكِنْ هُوَ سَلَفٌ؛ إِنِّي أَخْشَى عَلَيْهِ الضَّيْعَةَ وَمَا وَلِيَ إِمَارَةً قَطُّ وَلَا جِبَايَةً وَلَا خَرَاجًا وَلَا شَيْئًا قَطُّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَمَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ ؓ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَحَسَبْتُ مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ فَوَجَدْتُهُ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ قَالَ فَلَقِيَ حَكِيمُ بْنُ حِزَامٍ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي كَمْ عَلَى أَخِي مِنَ الدَّيْنِ؟ قَالَ فَكَتَمَ وَقَالَ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ قَالَ حَكِيمٌ مَا أَرَى أَمْوَالَكُمْ تَسَعُ لِهَذِهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللهِ أَفَرَأَيْتُكَ إِنْ كَانَتْ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ؟ قَالَ مَا أَرَاكُمْ تُطِيقُونَ هَذَا فَإِنْ عَجَزْتُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَاسْتَعِينُونِي قَالَ وَكَانَ الزُّبَيْرُ اشْتَرَى الْغَابَةَ بِسَبْعِينَ وَمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَبَاعَهَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ بِأَلْفِ أَلْفٍ وَسِتِّمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ دَيْنٌ فَلْيُوَافِنَا بِالْغَابَةِ قَالَ فَأَتَاهُ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَكَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ فَقَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ تَرَكْنَاهَا لَكُمْ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ لَا قَالَ فَإِنْ شِئْتُمْ جَعَلْتُمُوهَا فِيمَا تُؤَخِّرُونَ إِنْ أَخَّرْتُمْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ لَا قَالَ فَاقْطَعُوا لِي قِطْعَةً قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ لَكَ مِنْ هَا هُنَا إِلَى هَا هُنَا قَالَ فَبَاعَهَا مِنْهُ فَقَضَى دَيْنَهُ فَأَوْفَاهُ وَبَقِيَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَنِصْفٌ قَالَ فَقَدِمَ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَعِنْدَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ وَالْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ وَابْنُ زَمْعَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ كَمْ قُوِّمَتِ الْغَابَةُ قَالَ سِتُّمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ قَالَ كُلُّ سَهْمٍ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ قَالَ كَمْ بَقِيَ؟ قَالَ أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَنِصْفٌ قَالَ الْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَقَالَ ابْنُ زَمْعَةَ قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ كَمْ بَقِيَ؟ قَالَ سَهْمٌ وَنِصْفٌ قَالَ قَدْ أَخَذْتُهُ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَخَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا وَقَالَ وَبَاعَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ نَصِيبَهُ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِسِتِّمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ مِنْ قَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ قَالَ بَنُو الزُّبَيْرِ اقْسِمْ بَيْنَنَا مِيرَاثَنَا قَالَ لَا وَاللهِ لَا أَقْسِمُ بَيْنَكُمْ حَتَّى أُنَادِيَ بِالْمَوْسِمِ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ أَلَا مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ دَيْنٌ فَلْيَأْتِنِي فَلْنَقْضِهِ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ يُنَادِي بِالْمَوْسِمِ فَلَمَّا مَضَى أَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ قَسَمَ بَيْنَهُمْ مِيرَاثَهُمْ قَالَ وَكَانَ لِلزُّبَيْرِ أَرْبَعُ نِسْوَةٍ وَرَفَعَ الثُّلُثَ فَأَصَابَ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ أَلْفَ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ فَجَمِيعُ مَالِهِ خَمْسُونَ أَلْفَ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَا أَلْفٍ