Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2740
sahih

Narrated Talha bin Musarrif:

I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will?" He replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the making of a will has been enjoined on people, (or that they are ordered to make a will)?" He replied, "The Prophet (ﷺ) bequeathed Allah's Book (i.e. Qur'an).

حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، حَدَّثَنَا طَلْحَةُ بْنُ مُصَرِّفٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ هَلْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْصَى فَقَالَ لاَ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ كُتِبَ عَلَى النَّاسِ الْوَصِيَّةُ أَوْ أُمِرُوا بِالْوَصِيَّةِ قَالَ أَوْصَى بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 55, Hadith 3
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 51, Hadith 3 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
This hadeeth refutes the false claims of the Shiites that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him)as his successor. In this hadeeth, Talhah ibn Musaarrif stated that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺwrote a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) regarding the division of his wealth or nominating his successor, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the negative, because the Prophet ﷺdid not leave behind considerable wealth entailing writing a Wasiyyah, and also because he ﷺ stated in another hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Al-Buhkaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave after his death should be given in charity. Thereupon, Talhah ibn Musaarrif inquired about the reason that the Prophet ﷺ did not write a Wasiyyah, despite the fact that Muslims are enjoined to do so; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a Wasiyyah for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.} [Quran 2:180]. ‘Abdullah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “The Prophet’s Wasiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran),” meaning that his Wasiyyah for the Muslims was to adhere to the Quran and act upon it, because the Quran is the most important and fundamental asset for Muslims, and it was revealed as clarification for all things, such things being clarified either by explicit statement or through inference. Were Muslims to adhere to the Quran, this would entail compliance with the Prophet’s commands, for Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from.} [Quran 59:7]. Numerous and varied texts and narrations have been reported stating the Prophet’s commandments; some were regarding his household, the rights of the Ansaar and emigrants in particular, and others were regarding all Muslims, like this hadeeth. .
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