Wills

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is not proper for a Muslim who has something to bequeath to stay for three nights without having his will written with him." ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "Since I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say this, not a single night has passed without my will being with me."

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me for an illness which became so hard to bear in the year of the Farewell Hajj. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, you can see the severity of the illness which I am experiencing. I have property and none will inherit me except a daughter. Shall I give two thirds of my property in charity?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'No.' I said: "Then shall I give one half, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: 'No.' Then I said: "So, (shall I give) one third?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(Give) one third, and one third is too much. Indeed, leaving your heirs rich is better than leaving them poor and begging from people. You never spend anything seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah but that you are rewarded for it, even what you place in the mouth of your wife." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will I be left here in Makkah after my companions have departed for Madīnah?" He said: "If you are left behind and do good deeds whereby you seek Allah's pleasure, you will be raised a degree and your status will be elevated on account of them. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit by you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah, complete for my Companions their Hijrah (immigration to Madīnah), and do not turn them back on their heels. The unfortunate one, however, is Sa‘d ibn Khawlah." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) felt sorry for him, as he had died at Makkah.

Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me for an illness which became so hard to bear in the year of the Farewell Hajj. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, you can see the severity of the illness which I am experiencing. I have property and none will inherit me except a daughter. Shall I give two thirds of my property in charity?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'No.' I said: "Then shall I give one half, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: 'No.' Then I said: "So, (shall I give) one third?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(Give) one third, and one third is too much. Indeed, leaving your heirs rich is better than leaving them poor and begging from people. You never spend anything seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah but that you are rewarded for it, even what you place in the mouth of your wife." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will I be left here in Makkah after my companions have departed for Madīnah?" He said: "If you are left behind and do good deeds whereby you seek Allah's pleasure, you will be raised a degree and your status will be elevated on account of them. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit by you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah, complete for my Companions their Hijrah (immigration to Madīnah), and do not turn them back on their heels. The unfortunate one, however, is Sa‘d ibn Khawlah." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) felt sorry for him, as he had died at Makkah.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘Umar acquired a piece of land in Khaybar, so he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to know what he should do with it. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have acquired a piece of land in Khaybar, and I have never acquired a property more precious to me than that. What do you command me to do with it?" He said: "If you wish you can keep its origin as an endowment, and give its yield in charity." So, ‘Umar gave the land in charity (i.e. as an endowment on the condition that the land would neither be sold nor given as a gift, nor bequeathed). He gave its yield as charity to the poor, the relatives, for emancipation of slaves, in Allah's cause, and for the travelers. It was permissible for its administrator to eat from it in a reasonable just manner and feed his friends without seeking to be wealthy by its means. In another wording: "...without storing the property with the purpose of becoming rich.”