Sahih al-Bukhari 2742
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 55: Wills and Testaments (Wasaayaa) · To leave inheritors wealthy than begging others
Narrated Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ جَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعُودُنِي وَأَنَا بِمَكَّةَ، وَهْوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ بِالأَرْضِ الَّتِي هَاجَرَ مِنْهَا قَالَ " يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ ابْنَ عَفْرَاءَ ". قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أُوصِي بِمَالِي كُلِّهِ قَالَ " لاَ ". قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرُ قَالَ " لاَ ". قُلْتُ الثُّلُثُ. قَالَ " فَالثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ، إِنَّكَ أَنْ تَدَعَ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ، وَإِنَّكَ مَهْمَا أَنْفَقْتَ مِنْ نَفَقَةٍ فَإِنَّهَا صَدَقَةٌ، حَتَّى اللُّقْمَةُ الَّتِي تَرْفَعُهَا إِلَى فِي امْرَأَتِكَ، وَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَكَ فَيَنْتَفِعَ بِكَ نَاسٌ وَيُضَرَّ بِكَ آخَرُونَ ". وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ ابْنَةٌ.
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.