25. The Book of Wills
٢٥۔ كتاب الوصية
God raises one's station for every good deed done for His sake; It is better to leave your heirs well-off than to leave them poor
That his father said, "In the year of the last Hajj of the Prophet ﷺ I became seriously ill and the Prophet ﷺ used to visit me inquiring about my health. I told him, 'I am reduced to this state because of illness and I am wealthy and have no inheritors except a daughter. Should I give two-thirds of my property in charity?' He said, 'No.' I asked, 'Half?' He said, 'No.' then he added, 'One-third, and even one-third is much. You'd better leave your inheritors wealthy rather than leaving them poor, begging others. You will get a reward for whatever you spend for Allah's sake, even for what you put in your wife's mouth.'
I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Will I be left alone after my companions have gone?' He said, 'If you are left behind, whatever good deeds you will do will upgrade you and raise you high. And perhaps you will have a long life so that some people will be benefited by you while others will be harmed by you. O Allah! Complete the emigration of my companions and do not cause them to turn on their heels.' Saʿd b. Khaulah ˹another companion˺ was unfortunate and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lamented his death as he died in Makkah." ˹but Saʿd b. Abū Waqqas lived long after the Prophet ﷺ.˺
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي عَامَ حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ مِنْ وَجَعٍ اشْتَدَّ بِي فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي قَدْ بَلَغَ بِي مِنَ الْوَجَعِ وَأَنَا ذُو مَالٍ وَلاَ يَرِثُنِي إِلاَّ ابْنَةٌ، أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي؟ قَالَ: «لاَ۔» فَقُلْتُ: بِالشَّطْرِ؟ فَقَالَ: «لاَ۔» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «الثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلْثُ كَبِيرٌ۔» أَوْ «كَثِيرٌ۔ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَذَرَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَذَرَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ، وَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تُنْفِقَ نَفَقَةً تَبْتَغِي بِهَا وَجْهَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ أُجِرْتَ بِهَا حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فِي امْرَأَتِكَ۔»
فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أُخَلَّفُ بَعْدَ أَصْحَابِي؟ قَالَ: «إِنَّكَ لَنْ تُخَلَّفَ، فَتَعْمَلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا إِلاَّ ازْدَدْتَ بِهِ دَرَجَةً وَرِفْعَةً ثُمَّ لَعَلَّكَ أَنْ تُخَلَّفَ حَتَّى يَنْتَفِعَ بِكَ أَقْوَامٌ وَيُضَرَّ بِكَ آخَرُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَمْضِ لأَصْحَابِي هِجْرَتَهُمْ وَلاَ تَرُدَّهُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ۔» لَكِنِ الْبَائِسُ سَعْدُ ابْنُ خَوْلَةَ يَرْثِي لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ مَاتَ بِمَكَّةَ
I recommend that people reduce the proportion of what they bequeath by will to the fourth (of the whole legacy), for Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "One-third, yet even one third is too much."
لَوْ غَضَّ النَّاسُ إِلَى الرُّبْعِ لأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «الثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ۔» أَوْ «كَبِيرٌ۔»