Extracted from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
❖ Introduction
Fadak was a settlement located at a distance of three stages (manāzil) from Madinah. After the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyidah Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها requested ownership of the garden, but Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه refused.
What was the Sharʿī and historical reasoning behind this decision? Let us examine the details.
❖ Historical Background of Fadak
◈ In 7 AH, Khaybar was conquered.
◈ On return, the Prophet ﷺ sent Muḥayyisah ibn Masʿūd to the people of Fadak to invite them to Islam.
◈ The Jewish leader Yushaʿ ibn Nūn agreed to a peace treaty and surrendered half the income of Fadak.
◈ As Fadak came under Muslim control without war, it was considered Māl al-Fay’ (spoils acquired without battle).
◈ The garden thus became part of the Prophet ﷺ’s personal share, from which he spent on his family and distributed among the poor.
❖ Sayyidah Fāṭimah’s Request and Abū Bakr’s Response
After the Prophet’s ﷺ death, Sayyidah Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها requested her share from Fadak.
Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه replied:
“Prophets do not leave inheritance.”
❖ Evidence from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Narration from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“Fāṭimah and ʿAbbās came to Abū Bakr seeking their share of inheritance from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, namely the land in Fadak and a portion of Khaybar.
Abū Bakr said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “We (the prophets) do not leave inheritance. What we leave behind is ṣadaqah (charity).” The family of Muhammad ﷺ may eat from this wealth.
And Abū Bakr swore, By Allah! I will never leave something the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did—rather, I will follow him exactly.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Farā’iḍ, Bāb Qawl al-Nabī: Lā Nūrath Mā Taraknā Ṣadaqah]
❖ Supporting Hadith from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
“My heirs will not inherit even a single dinar. What I leave behind—after my wives’ maintenance and the servant’s wages—shall be ṣadaqah.”
[Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Kharāj wa al-Imārah wa al-Fay’, Ḥadīth: 2974]
❖ Confirmation from Shia Sources
Shia scholar Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Kulaynī narrates from Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq:
“Indeed, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind dīnārs or dirhams. Rather, they left behind their teachings. Whoever takes from it has taken a great share.”
[Uṣūl al-Kāfī: 1/32, Bāb Ṣifat al-ʿIlm wa Faḍlih]
❖ Not Just Children—Wives Were Also Denied
This law was not exclusive to children; it also applied to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ.
Narration from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, his wives intended to send ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه to Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه to request their share in inheritance.
I said to them: Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “We, the prophets, do not leave inheritance. What we leave behind is ṣadaqah.””
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Farā’iḍ]
❖ Summary of 6 Evidences for Non-Entitlement to Fadak
① Clear statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “We, the prophets, do not leave inheritance.”
② Abū Bakr’s testimony that he heard this directly and was determined to follow the Sunnah.
③ Saying of the Prophet ﷺ that after his wives’ and servant’s expenses, everything is ṣadaqah.
④ Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq’s statement (from Shia sources) confirming no material inheritance from prophets.
⑤ Application of this ruling not just on Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها, but also the Prophet’s wives.
⑥ Unbroken practice of the rightly guided caliphs, beginning with Abū Bakr, based on authentic Hadith.
✅ Conclusion
◈ Based on the explicit sayings of the Prophet ﷺ and the actions of the rightly guided caliphs, it is clear that:
➤ Prophets do not leave behind material inheritance.
➤ Whatever they leave is ṣadaqah.
➤ This ruling was applied equally to Sayyidah Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها and the wives of the Prophet ﷺ.
➤ Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه’s decision was in strict accordance with the Prophet’s Sunnah, not personal judgment.
