22. Book of Wills/Testaments
٢٢۔ كِتَابُ الْوَصَايَا
[Machine] I heard Sufyan saying, "If I assign one hundred Dirhams to an heir and to a non-heir, I think it is better to nullify both."
سَمِعْتُ سُفْيَانَ يَقُولُ إِذَا أَقَرَّ لِوَارِثٍ وَلِغَيْرِ وَارِثٍ بِمِئَةِ دِرْهَمٍ قَالَ أَرَى أَنْ أُبْطِلَهُمَا جَمِيعًا
[Machine] And Al-Hasan said, "The most deserving of what is permitted to him is on his deathbed, the first day of the Hereafter, and the last day of the worldly life."
وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ «أَحَقُّ مَا جَازَ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الْآخِرَةِ وَآخِرَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الدُّنْيَا»
[Machine] "It is not permissible for an heir to make a will."
«لَا يَجُوزُ لِوَارِثٍ وَصِيَّةٌ»
[Machine] "A man nicknamed Abu Thabit made a will to his wife before his death, stating that she has four hundred dirhams from her dowry as her entitlement, which Al-Hasan approved."
«أَنَّ رَجُلًا يُكْنَى أَبَا ثَابِتٍ أَقَرَّ لِامْرَأَتِهِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ أَنَّ لَهَا عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ مِنْ صَدَاقِهَا فَأَجَازَهُ الْحَسَنُ»
[Machine] "I was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ on his camel, and it was hobbling with its hooves. I could hear his saliva dripping between my shoulders. I heard him say, 'Indeed, Allah has given every rightful person their rights, so it is not permissible to leave a will for an inheritor.'"
كُنْتُ تَحْتَ نَاقَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهِيَ تَقْصَعُ بِجِرَّتِهَا وَلُعَابُهَا يَنُوصُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيَّ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ «أَلَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَعْطَى كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ فَلَا يَجُوزُ وَصِيَّةٌ لِوَارِثٍ»
[Machine] "When death approaches one of you, and if he leaves behind wealth, he should make a will (wasiyyah) to his parents and near relatives, according to what is reasonable. This is an obligation upon the righteous. Then it was abrogated in Surah An-Nisa, and the parents were given a clearly defined share, and to each one of his inheriting relatives a predetermined share, and to the deceased's relatives who are not heirs, a will has been ordained, so that it may benefit those who do not have an inheriting heir and others." [Al-Baqarah 180]
{إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ إِنْ تَرَكَ خَيْرًا الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ} [البقرة 180] بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حقًا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُوصِيَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ وَأَقَارِبِهِ ثُمَّ نُسِخَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ فَجَعَلَ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ نَصِيبًا مَعْلُومًا وَأَلْحَقَ لِكُلِّ ذِي مِيرَاثٍ نَصِيبَهُ مِنْهُ وَلَيْسَتْ لَهُمْ وَصِيَّةٌ فَصَارَتِ الْوَصِيَّةُ لِمَنْ لَا يَرِثُ مِنْ قَرِيبٍ وَغَيْرِهِ
The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased would be inherited by his offspring; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit by the will of the deceased. Then Allah cancelled from that custom whatever He wished and fixed for the male double the amount inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole legacy) and for the wife an eighth or a fourth and for the husband a half or a fourth. (Using translation from Bukhārī 2747)
«كَانَ الْمَالُ لِلْوَلَدِ وَكَانَتِ الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ فَنَسَخَ اللَّهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَحَبَّ فَجَعَلَ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلَ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ وَجَعَلَ لِلْأَبَوَيْنِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسَ وَالثُّلُثَ وَجَعَلَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ الثُّمُنَ وَالرُّبُعَ وَلِلزَّوْجِ الشَّطْرَ وَالرُّبُعَ»
The Qur'anic verse goes: "(It is prescribed when death approaches any of you), if he leaves any goods, that he may bequest to parents and next to kin." The bequest was made in this way until the verse of inheritance repealed it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2869)
عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ وَالْحَسَنِ {إِنْ تَرَكَ خَيْرًا الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ} [البقرة 180] «فكَانَتِ الْوَصِيَّةُ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى نَسَخَتْهَا آيَةُ الْمِيرَاثِ»