Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai-kubra:6421ʿAmr b. Manṣūr And ʾAḥmad b. Sulaymān Wa-al-Lafẓ Liʾaḥmad > Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd > Saʿd

"The Prophet came to visit me when I was in Makkah. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my money?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Bequeath) one-third, and one-third is a lot. If you leave your heirs independent of means, that is better than if you leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3627)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٤٢١أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ وَاللَّفْظُ لِأَحْمَدَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدٍ قَالَ

جَاءَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي وَأنا بِمَكَّةَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلَّهِ؟ قَالَ «لَا» قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرُ؟ قَالَ «لَا» قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثُ؟ قَالَ «الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَبِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:5354Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd > Saʿd

The Prophet ﷺ visited me at Mecca while I was ill. I said (to him), "I have property; May I bequeath all my property in Allah's Cause?" He said, "No." I said, "Half of it?" He said, "No." I said, "One third of it?" He said, "One-third (is alright), yet it is still too much, for you'd better leave your inheritors wealthy than leave them poor, begging of others. Whatever you spend will be considered a Sadaqa for you, even the mouthful of food you put in the mouth of your wife. Anyhow Allah may let you recover, so that some people may benefit by you and others be harmed by you."  

البخاري:٥٣٥٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعْد ٍ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي وَأَنَا مَرِيضٌ بِمَكَّةَ فَقُلْتُ لِي مَالٌ أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرُ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثُ قَالَ الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَهْمَا أَنْفَقْتَ فَهُوَ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ حَتَّى اللُّقْمَةَ تَرْفَعُهَا فِي فِي امْرَأَتِكَ وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُكَ يَنْتَفِعُ بِكَ نَاسٌ وَيُضَرُّ بِكَ آخَرُونَ  

nasai:3626ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd from his father

"I became ill with a sickness from which I later recovered. The Messenger of Allah came to visit me, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I have a great deal of wealth and I have no heir except my daughter. Shall I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Give) one-third, and one-third is a lot. It is better to leave your heirs independent of means, than to leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'"  

النسائي:٣٦٢٦أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَرِضْتُ مَرَضًا أَشْفَيْتُ مِنْهُ فَأَتَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي مَالاً كَثِيرًا وَلَيْسَ يَرِثُنِي إِلاَّ ابْنَتِي أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرَ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثَ قَالَ الثُّلُثَ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَتْرُكَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ مِنْ أَنْ تَتْرُكَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ  

nasai:3627ʿAmr b. Manṣūr And ʾAḥmad b. Sulaymān Wa-al-Lafẓ Lʾaḥmad > Abū Nuʿaym > Sufyān > Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd > Saʿd

"The Prophet came to visit me when I was in Makkah. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my money?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Bequeath) one-third, and one-third is a lot. If you leave your heirs independent of means, that is better than if you leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'"  

النسائي:٣٦٢٧أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ وَاللَّفْظُ لأَحْمَدَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدٍ قَالَ

جَاءَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُنِي وَأَنَا بِمَكَّةَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرَ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثَ قَالَ الثُّلُثَ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ  

nasai:3628ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Sufyān > Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd from his father

"The Prophet used to visit him when he was in Makkah, and he did not want to die in the land from which he had emigrated. The Prophet said: 'May Allah have mercy on Sa'd bin 'Afra.' He had only one daughter, and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my wealth?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: 'One-third, and one-third is a lot. For you to leave your heirs independent of means is better than if you were to leave them poor, holding out their hands to people.'"  

النسائي:٣٦٢٨أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُهُ وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ بِالأَرْضِ الَّتِي هَاجَرَ مِنْهَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ سَعْدَ ابْنَ عَفْرَاءَ أَوْ يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ سَعْدَ ابْنَ عَفْرَاءَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ إِلاَّ ابْنَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ النِّصْفَ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثَ قَالَ الثُّلُثَ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ  

nasai:3633Muḥammad b. al-Walīd al-Faḥḥām > Muḥammad b. Rabīʿah > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

"O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath two-thirds of my wealth?" He said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath half?" He said: "No." He said: "Shall I bequeath one-third?" He said: "Yes, one-third, and one-third is much or large. If you leave your heirs independent of means that is better than if you leave them poor, holding out their hands."  

النسائي:٣٦٣٣أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْفَحَّامُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتَى سَعْدًا يَعُودُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ سَعْدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُوصِي بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَأُوصِي بِالنِّصْفِ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَأُوصِي بِالثُّلُثِ قَالَ نَعَمِ الثُّلُثَ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ أَوْ كَبِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ فُقَرَاءَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ  

ibnmajah:2708Hishām b. ʿAmmār And al-Ḥusayn b. al-Ḥasan al-Marwazī Wasahl > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > al-Zuhrī > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd from his father

“I became sick during the year of the Conquest, and was at death's door. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit me and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I have a great deal of wealth and no one will inherit from me apart from my daughter. Can I give two thirds of my wealth in charity?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Then half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One third?' He said: One third and one third is a lot. If you leave your heirs rich that is better than leaving them destitute and begging from people.”  

ابن ماجة:٢٧٠٨حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ وَسَهْلٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَرِضْتُ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ حَتَّى أَشْفَيْتُ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ فَعَادَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَىْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي مَالاً كَثِيرًا وَلَيْسَ يَرِثُنِي إِلاَّ ابْنَتِي أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرُ قَالَ لاَ قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثُ قَالَ الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَتْرُكَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَتْرُكَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ  

nasai-kubra:6285ʿAmr b. ʿAlī al-Fallās > ʿAbd al-Raḥman / Ibn Mahdī > Sufyān / al-Thawrī > Saʿd b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĀmir b. Saʿd from his father

"The Prophet came to visit me when I was in Makkah. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all my money?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-half?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'One-third?' He said: '(Bequeath) one-third, and one-third is a lot. If you leave your heirs independent of means, that is better than if you leave them poor and holding out their hands to people.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3627)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٢٨٥أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْفَلَّاسُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مَهْدِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ يَعْنِي الثَّوْرِيَّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَعُودُهُ وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ إِلَّا ابْنَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ؟ قَالَ «لَا» قَالَ النِّصْفُ؟ قَالَ «لَا» قَالَ فَالثُّلُثُ؟ قَالَ الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَدَعْ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ