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:6428Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās > Law Ghaḍ al-Nās > al-Rubuʿ

"If the people were to reduce (their bequests) to one-quarter (of their wealth, that would be better), because the Messenger of Allah said: 'One-third, and one-third is much or large.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3634)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٤٢٨أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَوْ غَضَّ النَّاسُ إِلَى الرُّبُعِ؛

لَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ أَوْ كَبِيرٌ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Suyūṭī
bukhari:2743Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās > Law Ghaḍ al-Nās > al-Rubʿ Lʾan

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."  

البخاري:٢٧٤٣حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ قَالَ

لَوْ غَضَّ النَّاسُ إِلَى الرُّبْعِ لأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «الثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ۔» أَوْ «كَبِيرٌ۔»  

nasai:3634Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās > Law Ghaḍ al-Nās > al-Rubuʿ

"If the people were to reduce (their bequests) to one-quarter (of their wealth, that would be better), because the Messenger of Allah said: 'One-third, and one-third is much or large.'"  

النسائي:٣٦٣٤أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَوْ غَضَّ النَّاسُ إِلَى الرُّبُعِ

لأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ الثُّلُثَ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ أَوْ كَبِيرٌ  

ibnmajah:2711ʿAlī b. Muḥammad > Wakīʿ > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās > Wadidt > al-Nās Ghaḍḍūā from al-Thuluth > al-Rubuʿ

“I would like the people to reduce (the will) from one third to one quarter, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'One third is a lot.'”  

ابن ماجة:٢٧١١حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ

أَنَّ النَّاسَ غَضُّوا مِنَ الثُّلُثِ إِلَى الرُّبُعِ لأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ الثُّلُثُ كَبِيرٌ أَوْ كَثِيرٌ  

ahmad:2076Wakīʿ > Hishām from his father > Ibn ʿAbbās > Wadidt

“I would like the people to reduce (the will) from one third to one quarter, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'One third is a lot.'” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2711)   

أحمد:٢٠٧٦حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ

أَنَّ النَّاسَ غَضُّوا مِنَ الثُّلُثِ إِلَى الرُّبُعِ فِي الْوَصِيَّةِ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ الثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ أَوْ كَبِيرٌ