Home Hadith Hadith 3867
Fatima and Al-`Abbas came to Abu Bakr, claiming their inheritance of the Prophet's land of Fadak
and his share from Khaibar. Abu Bakr said, "I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'Our property is not inherited,
and whatever we leave is to be given in charity. But the family of Muhammad can take their
sustenance from this property.' By Allah, I would love to do good to the Kith and kin of Allah's
Apostle rather than to my own Kith and kin."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 64, Hadith 83
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That once `Umar bin Al-Khattab called him and while he was sitting with him, his gatekeeper, Yarfa
came and said, "Will you admit `Uthman, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, AzZubair and Sa`d (bin Abi
Waqqas) who are waiting for your permission?" `Umar said, "Yes, let them come in." After a while,
Yarfa- came again and said, "Will you admit `Ali and `Abbas who are asking your permission?"
`Umar said, "Yes." So, when the two entered, `Abbas said, "O chief of the believers! Judge between
me and this (i.e. `Ali). "Both of them had a dispute regarding the property of Bani An-Nadir which
Allah had given to His Apostle as Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting), `Ali and `Abbas started
reproaching each other. The (present) people (i.e. `Uthman and his companions) said, "O chief of the
believers! Give your verdict in their case and relieve each from) the other." `Umar said, "Wait I
beseech you, by Allah, by Whose Permission both the heaven and the earth stand fast! Do you know
that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'We (Prophets) our properties are not to be inherited, and whatever we leave,
is to be spent in charity,' and he said it about himself?" They (i.e. `Uthman and his company) said, "He
did say it. "`Umar then turned towards `Ali and `Abbas and said, "I beseech you both, by Allah! Do
you know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said this?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "Now I am talking
to you about this matter. Allah the Glorified favored His Apostle with something of this Fai (i.e. booty
won without fighting) which He did not give to anybody else. Allah said:--
"And what Allah gave to His Apostle ("Fai"" Booty) from them--For which you made no expedition
With either Calvary or camelry. But Allah gives power to His Apostles Over whomsoever He will
And Allah is able to do all things." (59.6)
So this property was especially granted to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . But by Allah, the Prophet (ﷺ) neither took it
all for himself only, nor deprived you of it, but he gave it to all of you and distributed it amongst you
till only this remained out of it. And from this Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to spend the yearly maintenance
for his family, and whatever used to remain, he used to spend it where Allah's Property is spent (i.e. in
charity), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kept on acting like that during all his life, Then he died, and Abu Bakr said, 'I
am the successor of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).' So he (i.e. Abu Bakr) took charge of this property and disposed
of it in the same manner as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to do, and all of you (at that time) knew all about it."
Then `Umar turned towards `Ali and `Abbas and said, "You both remember that Abu Bakr disposed of
it in the way you have described and Allah knows that, in that matter, he was sincere, pious, rightly
guided and the follower of the right. Then Allah caused Abu Bakr to die and I said, 'I am the successor
of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr.' So I kept this property in my possession for the first two years of
my rule (i.e. Caliphate and I used to dispose of it in the same wa as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr
used to do; and Allah knows that I have been sincere, pious, rightly guided an the follower of the right
(in this matte Later on both of you (i.e. `Ali and `Abbas) came to me, and the claim of you both was
one and the same, O `Abbas! You also came to me. So I told you both that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Our
property is not inherited, but whatever we leave is to be given in charity.'
Then when I thought that I should better hand over this property to you both or the condition that you
will promise and pledge before Allah that you will dispose it off in the same way as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)
and Abu Bakr did and as I have done since the beginning of my caliphate or else you should not speak
to me (about it).' So, both of you said to me, 'Hand it over to us on this condition.' And on this
condition I handed it over to you. Do you want me now to give a decision other than that (decision)?
By Allah, with Whose Permission both the sky and the earth stand fast, I will never give any decision
other than that (decision) till the Last Hour is established.
But if you are unable to manage it (i.e. that property), then return it to me, and I will manage on your
behalf." The sub-narrator said, "I told `Urwa bin Az-Zubair of this Hadith and he said, 'Malik bin Aus
has told the truth" I heard `Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'The wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent
`Uthman to Abu Bakr demanding from him their 1/8 of the Fai which Allah had granted to his
Apostle. But I used to oppose them and say to them: Will you not fear Allah? Don't you know that the
Prophet used to say: Our property is not inherited, but whatever we leave is to be given in charity?
The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that regarding himself. He added: 'The family of Muhammad can take their
sustenance from this property. So the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) stopped demanding it when I told them of
that.' So, this property (of Sadaqa) was in the hands of `Ali who withheld it from `Abbas and
overpowered him. Then it came in the hands of Hasan bin `Ali, then in the hands of Husain bin `Ali,
and then in the hands of `Ali bin Husain and Hasan bin Hasan, and each of the last two used to
manage it in turn, then it came in the hands of Zaid bin Hasan, and it was truly the Sadaqa of Allah's
Apostle ."
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Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Who is willing to kill Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?"
Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would you like that I kill
him?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes," Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing
(i.e. to deceive Ka`b). "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You may say it." Then Muhammad bin Maslama went to
Ka`b and said, "That man (i.e. Muhammad demands Sadaqa (i.e. Zakat) from us, and he has troubled
us, and I have come to borrow something from you." On that, Ka`b said, "By Allah, you will get tired
of him!" Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him
unless and until we see how his end is going to be. Now we want you to lend us a camel load or two
of food." (Some difference between narrators about a camel load or two.) Ka`b said, "Yes, (I will lend
you), but you should mortgage something to me."
Muhammad bin Mas-lama and his companion said, "What do you want?" Ka`b replied, "Mortgage
your women to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our women to you and you are the most
handsome of the 'Arabs?" Ka`b said, "Then mortgage your sons to me." They said, "How can we
mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the people's saying that so-and-so has been
mortgaged for a camel load of food. That would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our
arms to you." Muhammad bin Maslama and his companion promised Ka`b that Muhammad would
return to him. He came to Ka`b at night along with Ka`b's foster brother, Abu Na'ila. Ka`b invited
them to come into his fort, and then he went down to them. His wife asked him, "Where are you going
at this time?" Ka`b replied, "None but Muhammad bin Maslama and my (foster) brother Abu Na'ila
have come."
His wife said, "I hear a voice as if dropping blood is from him, Ka`b said. "They are none but my
brother Muhammad bin Maslama and my foster brother Abu Naila. A generous man should respond to
a call at night even if invited to be killed." Muhammad bin Maslama went with two men. (Some
narrators mention the men as 'Abu bin Jabr. Al Harith bin Aus and `Abbad bin Bishr). So
Muhammad bin Maslama went in together with two men, and sail to them, "When Ka`b comes, I will
touch his hair and smell it, and when you see that I have got hold of his head, strip him. I will let you
smell his head." Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing
perfume. Muhammad bin Maslama said. " have never smelt a better scent than this. Ka`b replied. "I
have got the best 'Arab women who know how to use the high class of perfume." Muhammad bin
Maslama requested Ka`b "Will you allow me to smell your head?" Ka`b said, "Yes." Muhammad
smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he requested Ka`b again, "Will you let me
(smell your head)?" Ka`b said, "Yes." When Muhammad got a strong hold of him, he said (to his
companions), "Get at him!" So they killed him and went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him. (Abu Rafi`)
was killed after Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf."