Part of Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyah (the series is completed)
· Lesson 38 of 40
Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (38) | Chapter on what was mentioned regarding the inheritance of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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With pens of yearning
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and ink of devotion,
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we write words more precious than gold
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describing the master of creation,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The Prophetic Characteristics (*Shama'il*)
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Chapter: What Has Been Related Regarding the Inheritance of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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What is meant by the inheritance of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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is whatever worldly goods he left behind after his passing.
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Narrated 'Amr ibn al-Harith, the brother of Juwayriyah
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—he was a Companion—
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who said:
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, left behind nothing
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except his weapons, his white mule,
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and land that he designated as a charity."
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The narrator of this hadith
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is 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar,
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brother of the Mother of the Believers, Juwayriyah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her),
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and he was a Companion.
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He stated in this hadith:
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, left behind nothing..."
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meaning, at the time of his death,
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"...except his weapons,"
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referring to the gear he wore specifically during combat,
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such as his sword, spear,
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chainmail, helmet, and short lance.
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And his saying:
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"...and his mule,"
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refers to his white mule,
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whose name was Duldul,
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which lived until the reign of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).
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And his saying:
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"...and land that he designated as a charity,"
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was half the land of Fadak,
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a third of the land of Wadi al-Qura,
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his share from the fifth of Khaybar,
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and a portion of the land of Banu al-Nadir.
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He designated all this land as an endowment for the general benefit of the Muslims.
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Benefits derived from the hadith:
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It demonstrates the Prophet's (peace be upon him) practice
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of complete asceticism regarding worldly life
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and contentment with very little,
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as he departed from it
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leaving behind only basic human necessities:
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such as weapons to strive against the disbelievers,
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and the mule he used to ride.
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As for the land he left behind,
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he had already made it an ongoing charity.
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Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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"The entire world in its fullness
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was far too insignificant in his eyes—
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just as it is in the sight of Allah—
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for him to strive after it
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or to leave it behind as a material inheritance."
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May Allah's blessings and peace be upon him,
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and upon his brothers among the prophets and messengers,
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and may He bestow abundant and everlasting peace upon them
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until the Day of Recompense.
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Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
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Fatimah came to Abu Bakr
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and asked, "Who inherits from you?"
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He replied, "My family and my children."
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She said, "Then why do I not inherit from my father?"
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Abu Bakr said,
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"I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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say, 'We do not leave inheritance.'
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But I will support those whom the Messenger of Allah,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to support,
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and I will spend on those upon whom the Messenger of Allah,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to spend."
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In this hadith,
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Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her),
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the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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came to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him),
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the Caliph of the Muslims,
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seeking her share of her father's inheritance.
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It seems it had not yet reached her knowledge
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that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said,
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"We leave no inheritance."
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So she asked, by way of introduction to her request:
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"Who inherits from you?"
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meaning: "When you die, who will inherit your estate?"
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The Truthful One (*al-Siddiq*) replied: "My family and my children,"
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meaning: "When I die, my family and my children will inherit from me,
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both male and female."
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So she said: "Then why do I not inherit from my father?"
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meaning: "If your family and children inherit from you,
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why should I not receive an inheritance
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and a share from my father?"
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Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied:
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"I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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say, 'We do not leave inheritance.'"
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Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not distribute
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what the Prophet (peace be upon him) left behind
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among his relatives or his wives.
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When she (may Allah be pleased with her) heard the hadith
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from Abu Bakr, she deferred to it completely.
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Scholars noted that this confirms she had not heard it prior to this,
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for had she known it, she would not have come asking.
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And his saying:
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"But I will support those whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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used to support,
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and I will spend on those upon whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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used to spend,"
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means that he would not cut off their maintenance;
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rather, he would continue spending on everyone upon whom
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the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to spend,
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because he stepped into his role
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in managing the affairs and needs of the Muslims.
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Narrated 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)
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that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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said: "We do not leave inheritance;
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whatever we leave behind is charity."
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This hadith demonstrates the fairness of the Mother of the Believers,
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'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and her absolute truthfulness,
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for she was among the heirs of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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had he left an inheritance.
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Yet she narrated this hadith,
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proving her commitment to clarifying the truth,
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even if it was at her own personal expense.
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Scholars said that the wisdom behind why
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prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them)
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do not leave inheritances is that they are like spiritual fathers
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to the Ummah, so their wealth belongs to the collective whole.
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Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him),
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from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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who said: "My heirs shall not divide
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a single dinar or dirham.
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Whatever I leave behind, after providing for my wives' maintenance
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and the upkeep of my manager, is charity."
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This hadith carries the same meaning as the preceding
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hadiths: the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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does not pass on to his heirs
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any dinar or dirham.
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Specifying dinars and dirhams
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serves as an indication for everything else as well;
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mentioning them draws attention to items of even greater value.
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And his saying:
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"Whatever I leave behind, after providing for my wives' maintenance and the upkeep of my manager,
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is charity,"
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means that whatever he (peace be upon him) left behind
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shall first cover the living expenses of his wives,
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and whatever remains beyond that shall be spent in charity
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for the benefit of the Muslims. The intended meaning
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of "manager" is the leader who assumes authority over the Muslims
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after him, though some said it refers to his servant.
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Narrated Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan:
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"I visited 'Umar,
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and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf,
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Talhah, and Sa'd came in to see him.
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Then 'Ali and al-'Abbas arrived, seeking judgment in a dispute.
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'Umar said, 'I adjure you by Allah, by Whose permission
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the heavens and the earth stand:
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Do you know that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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said, "We do not leave inheritance;
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whatever we leave behind is charity"?'
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They replied, 'O Allah, yes!'"
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In this hadith, there is a lengthy story:
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the land of Banu al-Nadir
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was part of the spoils that Allah granted to His Prophet (peace be upon him),
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so the Prophet (peace be upon him)
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used to take from it a year's provision for his family,
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and whatever remained beyond that, he allocated
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for the general needs of the Muslims.
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When he (peace be upon him) passed away,
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Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)
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maintained the Prophet's (peace be upon him) relatives
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from its revenues.
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Then, after Abu Bakr passed away, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) followed the same practice.
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Later, 'Umar entrusted its management to al-'Abbas and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both)
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so that they might distribute its yields
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to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) relatives.
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Subsequently, a disagreement arose between the two of them
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regarding its management,
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and they asked 'Umar to divide the property between them
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so that each could independently manage his own portion.
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'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to divide it
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and cited this hadith as his proof.
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And the statement:
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"In this hadith, there is a lengthy story,"
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refers to a narrative recorded in both *Sahih al-Bukhari* and *Sahih Muslim*,
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narrated by Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan al-Nasri,
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reporting that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)
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summoned him.
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Just then, 'Umar's doorkeeper, Yarfa', came in and said,
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"Would you permit 'Uthman, 'Abd al-Rahman,
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al-Zubayr, and Sa'd to enter?"
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'Umar said, "Yes," and admitted them.
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After a brief moment, Yarfa' returned and said,
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"Would you permit al-'Abbas and 'Ali to enter?"
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He said, "Yes."
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When they entered, al-'Abbas said,
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"O Commander of the Faithful!
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Judge between me and this man!"
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—they were disputing over the property that Allah had granted as spoils
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to His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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'Ali and al-'Abbas exchanged sharp words,
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The group said, "O Commander of the Faithful,
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judge between these two
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and relieve one from the other."
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'Umar said, "Wait,
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I adjure you by Allah, by Whose permission
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the heavens and the earth stand:
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do you know that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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said, 'We are not inherited from;
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whatever we leave is charity'—referring to himself?"
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They replied, "He indeed said that."
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'Umar then turned to 'Abbas and 'Ali
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and said, "I adjure you both by Allah,
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do you know that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
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had said that?"
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They said, "Yes."
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He said, "I shall now speak to you regarding this matter.
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Allah Almighty
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favored His Messenger (pbuh) with this property of *fai'* (spoils)
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with something He did not grant to anyone else,
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for Exalted is His mention, He said:
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“And that which Allah gave as spoil unto His messenger from them, ye urged not any horse or riding-camel for the sake thereof, but Allah giveth His messenger lordship over whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things.” (59:6)
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“And that which Allah gave as spoil unto His messenger from them, ye urged not any horse or riding-camel for the sake thereof, but Allah giveth His messenger lordship over whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things.” (59:6)
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◁ and you made no expedition with horses or camels ▷
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up to His saying: ◁ All-Powerful ▷.
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So this was exclusively designated for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).
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Yet, by Allah, he did not hoard it for himself,
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but rather gave it to you and distributed it among you,
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until this remaining portion of property was left over from it.
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The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
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used to spend from this property the yearly maintenance for his family,
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out of these funds,
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and then he would take whatever remained
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and allocate it as Allah's public funds.
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The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) acted in this manner
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throughout his life.
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Then the Prophet (pbuh) passed away,
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and Abu Bakr said,
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'I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).'
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So Abu Bakr took charge of it
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and managed it in the exact same manner as the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had done.
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And you two were present at that time."
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Then he turned to 'Ali and 'Abbas
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and said,
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"You two claim that Abu Bakr acted in this way as you say,
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whereas Allah knows that he was truthful, righteous,
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rightly guided, and a follower of the truth regarding it.
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Then Allah took Abu Bakr's soul,
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and I said, 'I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
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and of Abu Bakr.'
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So I took charge of it for two years of my rule,
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managing it in the exact same manner as the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had done,
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and as Abu Bakr had done.
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And Allah knows that I am truthful, righteous,
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rightly guided, and a follower of the truth regarding it.
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Then you both came to me,
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both of you asking the exact same thing,
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and your cause was united:
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you came to me—meaning 'Abbas—
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and I said to you both,
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'The Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
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said, "We are not inherited from;
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whatever we leave is charity."
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If you wish that I hand it over to you,'
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I said, 'If you wish, I will hand it over to you
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on the condition that you make a covenant and pledge with Allah
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that you will manage it
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in the exact same manner as the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had managed it,
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and as Abu Bakr had done,
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and as I have done since I took charge of it;
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otherwise, do not speak to me about it.'
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You both said, 'Hand it over to us on that condition.'
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Are you now seeking from me a judgment other than that?
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By Allah, by Whose permission
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the heavens and the earth stand,
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I will never render a judgment regarding it other than that
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until the Hour is established!
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If you are incapable of managing it, then return it to me,
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and I will suffice you of its maintenance."
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On the authority of Zirr ibn Hubaysh, he said that
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'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said,
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"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not leave behind
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a single dinar, nor a dirham,
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nor a sheep, nor a camel."
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He said, "And I doubt regarding the male slave and female slave."
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In this hadith,
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there is a clear indication that the Prophet (pbuh)
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did not leave behind any worldly wealth worth mentioning,
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which conveys the same meaning as the preceding hadiths.
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Worldly life was to him (pbuh)
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far too insignificant for him to work toward amassing it,
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or to leave it behind as an inheritance.
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Rather, his sole concern was spreading the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,
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so he left behind sacred knowledge as an inheritance;
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whoever takes it has indeed taken an abundant share.
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As for her statement, "and I doubt regarding the male slave and female slave,"
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this doubt comes from the Tabi'i narrator—
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meaning, did 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mention
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the male slave and female slave within her hadith or not?
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Among the subtle stories narrated on this topic
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is what has been reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
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that he passed by the market of Medina,
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stood before it, and said,
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"O people of the market, how helpless you are!"
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They asked, "And why is that, O Abu Hurayrah?"
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He said,
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"There is the inheritance of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
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being distributed, while you are here,
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not going to take your share of it!"
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They asked, "And where is it?"
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He replied, "In the mosque."
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So they went hastily to the mosque,
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and Abu Hurayrah waited for them until they returned.
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He said to them, "What is the matter with you?"
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They said, "O Abu Hurayrah,
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we went to the mosque and entered it,
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but we did not see anything being distributed in it."
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Abu Hurayrah said to them,
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"Did you not see anyone in the mosque?"
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They replied, "Yes, we saw people praying,
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people reciting the Qur'an,
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and people discussing the lawful and the prohibited."
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Abu Hurayrah said to them,
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"Woe to you! That is the inheritance of Muhammad,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
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The hadith will be continued, Allah willing.
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And Allah knows best.
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May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad
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and upon all his family and Companions.