Home Hadith Hadith 2631
I recommend that people reduce the proportion of what they bequeath by will to the fourth (of the
whole legacy), for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "One-third, yet even one third is too much."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 55, Hadith 6
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The Prophet (ﷺ) came visiting me while I was (sick) in Mecca, ('Amir the sub-narrator said, and he
disliked to die in the land, whence he had already migrated). He (i.e. the Prophet) said, "May Allah
bestow His Mercy on Ibn Afra (Sa`d bin Khaula)." I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! May I will all my
property (in charity)?" He said, "No." I said, "Then may I will half of it?" He said, "No". I said, "One
third?" He said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much. It is better for you to leave your
inheritors wealthy than to leave them poor begging others, and whatever you spend for Allah's sake
will be considered as a charitable deed even the handful of food you put in your wife's mouth. Allah
may lengthen your age so that some people may benefit by you, and some others be harmed by you."
At that time Sa`d had only one daughter.
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I fell sick and the Prophet (ﷺ) paid me a visit. I said to him, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I invoke Allah that He
may not let me expire in the land whence I migrated (i.e. Mecca)." He said, "May Allah give you
health and let the people benefit by you." I said, "I want to will my property, and I have only one
daughter and I want to will half of my property (to be given in charity)." He said," Half is too much." I
said, "Then I will one third." He said, "One-third, yet even one-third is too much." (The narrator
added, "So the people started to will one third of their property and that was Permitted for them.")