Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2738
sahih

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him."

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ لَهُ شَىْءٌ، يُوصِي فِيهِ يَبِيتُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ، إِلاَّ وَوَصِيَّتُهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ عِنْدَهُ ‏

‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 55, Hadith 1
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 51, Hadith 1 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah, Exalted is He, legislated the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) out of His kindness and mercy for His servants, allowing them to allocate a share of their wealth as a bequest to be offered in charity benefiting others and generating rewards for him or her. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged Muslims to hasten to write a Wasiyyah before death should befall them abruptly. He ﷺ clarified that it is becoming of any Muslim, man or woman, who has wealth to write his Wasiyyah to clarify with regard to his dependents, the due financial rights he owes to others, and those owed by others to him, including: (unpaid) debts, expiation, and Zakaah that he had neglected. The Hadeeth underlines that it is unbecoming of a Muslim to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah written and kept ready with him. In execution of such a Wasiyyah, the unpaid debts specified therein must be deducted from the estate (before the division of inheritance among the eligible heirs), and any bequest made to be spent in charity should be within one-third of the estate only. The fact that the Prophet ﷺ specifically stated that this was unbecoming of a ‘Muslim’ aims to urge all Muslims to hasten to comply, since the apparent indication of the hadeeth’s wording is that whoever fails to do so would not be qualified to be a (true) Muslim. It is also possible that it means that this is the most likely case. Al-Daaramee and Al-Daaraqutnee narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “People used to write their Wasiyyah as follows: This is what so-and-so, the son of so-and-so (i.e., the deceased’s name) had willed. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and He has no partner, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger; that the Last Hour shall undoubtedly come, and that Allah, Exalted is He, shall resurrect the dead from their graves. I also urge my family and dependents to be mindful of Allah, Exalted is He, reconcile their disputes, and obey Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, if they are true believers. I also advise them with what Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ya‘qoob (Jacob) advised their children as narrated in the ayah reading (what means): {And Ibraaheem (Abraham) instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya‘qoob (Jacob), [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."} [Quran 2:132]. I hereby will that such-and-such should be done after my death…” The hadeeth urges Muslims to write their Wasiyyah. It is also deduced from the hadeeth that important matters should be documented and written, since it is better and more prudent than relying on memory. It also urges Muslims to prepare themselves for death, and get ready before it abruptly befalls them, and then it would be too late; a person does not know when death shall befall him or her. .
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