Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Wills

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

"A man came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what kind of charity brings the greatest reward?' He said: 'To give in charity when you are healthy and feeling miserly, and fearing poverty and hoping for a long life. Do not wait until the (death rattle) reaches the throat and then say: "This is for so and so," and it nearly became the property of so and so (the heirs).'"

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا قَالَ " أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَتَأْمُلُ الْبَقَاءَ وَلاَ تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ لِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلاَنٍ ".

It was narrated that 'Abdullah said:

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'For whom among you is the wealth of his heirs dearer to him than his own wealth?' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, there is no one among us for whom his own wealth is not dearer to him than the wealth of his heirs.' The Messenger of Allah said: 'Know that there is no one among you for whom the wealth of his heirs is not dearer than his own wealth. Your wealth is that which you have sent on ahead, and the wealth of your heirs is that which you have kept.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " أَيُّكُمْ مَالُ وَارِثِهِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مَالِهِ ". قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مِنَّا مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ مَالُهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مَالِ وَارِثِهِ. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " اعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ مَالُ وَارِثِهِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مَالِهِ مَالُكَ مَا قَدَّمْتَ وَمَالُ وَارِثِكَ مَا أَخَّرْتَ ".

It was narrated from Mutarrif, from his father, that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you, 'Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).' The son of Adam says: 'My wealth, my wealth,' but your wealth is what you eat and consume, or what you wear and it wears out, or what you give in charity and send on ahead (for the Hereafter).'"

أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " {أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ * حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ} قَالَ يَقُولُ ابْنُ آدَمَ مَالِي مَالِي وَإِنَّمَا مَالُكَ مَا أَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ ".

Abu Habibah At-Ta'i said:

"A man made a will leaving some Dinars (to be spent) in the cause of Allah. Abu Ad-Darda' was asked about that, and he narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'The likeness of the one who frees a slave or gives some charity when he is dying, is that of a man who gives a gift after he has eaten his fill.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ، سَمِعَ أَبَا حَبِيبَةَ الطَّائِيَّ، قَالَ أَوْصَى رَجُلٌ بِدَنَانِيرَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَسُئِلَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَحَدَّثَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَعْتِقُ أَوْ يَتَصَدَّقُ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ مَثَلُ الَّذِي يُهْدِي بَعْدَ مَا يَشْبَعُ ".

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said:

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'It is not befitting for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for two nights without having a written will with him.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ لَهُ شَىْءٌ يُوصَى فِيهِ أَنْ يَبِيتَ لَيْلَتَيْنِ إِلاَّ وَوَصِيَّتُهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ عِنْدَهُ ".

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said:

"It is not befitting for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for two nights without having a written will with him."

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ لَهُ شَىْءٌ يُوصَى فِيهِ يَبِيتُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ إِلاَّ وَوَصِيَّتُهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ عِنْدَهُ ".

(The same) was narrated from Ibn 'Awn, from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar.

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ نُعَيْمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَوْلَهُ.

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"It is not befitting for a Muslim to abide for three nights without having his will with him." 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "Since I heard this from the Messenger of Allah, I have always had my will with me."

أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ فَإِنَّ سَالِمًا أَخْبَرَنِي عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ " مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ تَمُرُّ عَلَيْهِ ثَلاَثُ لَيَالٍ إِلاَّ وَعِنْدَهُ وَصِيَّتُهُ ". قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ مَا مَرَّتْ عَلَىَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ ذَلِكَ إِلاَّ وَعِنْدِي وَصِيَّتِي.

It was narrated from Salim bin 'Abdullah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said:

"It is not right for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for more than three nights without having a written will with him."

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْوَزِيرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ لَهُ شَىْءٌ يُوصَى فِيهِ فَيَبِيتُ ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ إِلاَّ وَوَصِيَّتُهُ عِنْدَهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ ".

Talha said:

"I asked Ibn Abi Awfa: 'Did the Messenger of Allah leave a will?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'How come it is prescribed for the Muslims to make wills?' He said: 'He left instructions urging the Muslims to adhere to the Book of Allah.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ مِغْوَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا طَلْحَةُ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى أَوْصَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ. قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَتَبَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْوَصِيَّةَ قَالَ أَوْصَى بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ.