Sahih al-Bukhari, 3096
sahihNarrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e. anything from my property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqa (i.e. be used for charity)."'
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
لاَ يَقْتَسِمُ وَرَثَتِي دِينَارًا، مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدَ نَفَقَةِ نِسَائِي وَمَئُونَةِ عَامِلِي فَهْوَ صَدَقَةٌ
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Isnad
5 transmittersReferences2 variants
- In-Book Reference
- Book 57, Hadith 5
- USC-MSA web (English) reference
- Vol. 4, Book 53, Hadith 328 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah, Exalted is He, blessed His Prophets with non-attachment to worldly pleasures and gains; they led the mostascetic lives and were content with their modest shares of worldly property. They availed themselves of their worldly gains within the scope of their needs only, and graciously offered the excess to be spent on what benefits people. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that his private property must not be inherited by his heirs. He ﷺ stated that his heirs had no right to even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from his private property) after his death, and whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave, beyond the due expenditure of his wives and laborers, should be given as Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity) for the benefit of Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ used to take his share of the (conquered) lands (i.e., Fay,’ meaning war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting, and spoils of war) to provide for himself and his dependents and spend the rest for the benefit of Muslims. The reference to his ‘laborers’ here is said to mean his successors (Caliphs) after his death, and it was also said that it means the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to tend to the palm trees in his lands.These lands were part of the Fay’ gained after the battle with Banee Al-Nadeer, the land of Fadak, and his share of the lands of Khaybar. It was also said that it means his servants or the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to collect the Zakaah funds. The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness in taking care of his family and dependents and allocating allowances for the workers and employees appointed to manage the Muslims’ affairs to keep them secure and able to shoulder the tasks entrusted to them. It is inferred therefrom that the Prophets of Allah did not leave behind personal properties to be inherited by their heirs, and that their estates were rather spent in charity. .