55. Wills and Testaments

٥٥۔ كتاب الوصايا

55.23 How a guardian is to deal with an orphan's wealth

٥٥۔٢٣ باب وَمَا لِلْوَصِيِّ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِي مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ، وَمَا يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ بِقَدْرِ عُمَالَتِهِ

bukhari:2764Hārūn > Abū Saʿīd a freed slave of Banī Hāshim > Ṣakhr b. Jūwayriyah > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

In the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ , ʿUmar gave in charity some of his property, a garden of date-palms called Thamgh. ʿUmar said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I have some property which I prize highly and I want to give it in charity." The Prophet; said, "Give it in charity (i.e. as an endowment) with its land and trees on the condition that the land and trees will neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, but the fruits are to be spent in charity." So ʿUmar gave it in charity, and it was for Allah's Cause, the emancipation of slaves, for the poor, for guests, for travelers, and for kinsmen. The person acting as its administrator could eat from it reasonably and fairly, and could let a friend of his eat from it provided he had no intention of becoming wealthy by its means.  

البخاري:٢٧٦٤حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مَوْلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا صَخْرُ بْنُ جُوَيْرِيَةَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ

أَنَّ عُمَرَ تَصَدَّقَ بِمَالٍ لَهُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَانَ يُقَالُ لَهُ ثَمْغٌ وَكَانَ نَخْلاً فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي اسْتَفَدْتُ مَالاً وَهُوَ عِنْدِي نَفِيسٌ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ تَصَدَّقْ بِأَصْلِهِ لاَ يُبَاعُ وَلاَ يُوهَبُ وَلاَ يُورَثُ وَلَكِنْ يُنْفَقُ ثَمَرُهُ فَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ عُمَرُ فَصَدَقَتُهُ ذَلِكَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالضَّيْفِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَى مَنْ وَلِيَهُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ أَوْ يُوكِلَ صَدِيقَهُ غَيْرَ مُتَمَوِّلٍ بِهِ  

bukhari:2765ʿUbayd b. Ismāʿīl > Abū Usāmah > Hishām from his father > ʿĀʾishah

The following Verse:-- "If a guardian is well-off, let him claim no remuneration (i.e. wages), but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable." (4.6) was revealed in connection with the guardian of an orphan, and it means that if he is poor he can have for himself (from the orphan's wealth) what is just and reasonable according to the orphan's share of the inheritance.  

البخاري:٢٧٦٥حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ – {وَمَنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَنْ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} قَالَتْ أُنْزِلَتْ فِي وَالِي الْيَتِيمِ أَنْ يُصِيبَ مِنْ مَالِهِ إِذَا كَانَ مُحْتَاجًا بِقَدْرِ مَالِهِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ