Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The intent of Ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu was that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not make a bequest regarding wealth because he did not leave behind any wealth. Talhah bin Musarrif, considering this ruling to be general, asked again why bequest (wasiyyah) was made obligatory upon people. He then clarified that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had made a bequest to act upon the Book of Allah. Thus, in the narration of Ibn Hibban, it is clarified: Ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu was asked, "Did the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam make any bequest?" He replied: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not leave anything that could be bequeathed." Then it was asked, "When he did not make any bequest, why has the command to make bequests been given to people?" He replied that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made a bequest to hold firmly to the Book of Allah. (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 382/13, and Fath al-Bari: 443/5) In summary, the negation is regarding bequest about wealth or caliphate, and the affirmation is regarding the bequest to hold firmly to the Book of Allah.

(2)
As long as people continued to act upon this bequest, they remained on the path of worldly progress, and when they abandoned the Qur'an and Hadith, humiliation and disgrace became their fate. Then, the Muslims, having split into sects, became subdued.

Hadith Commentary:
➊ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded acting upon the Book of Allah. The application of the term "wasiyyah" (bequest) to this command is in the sense of resemblance (mushakalah); therefore, there is no contradiction between the negation and affirmation of wasiyyah. That is, the wasiyyah which was negated was the bequest regarding wealth or leadership and caliphate, and the one that was affirmed was the command to act upon the Book of Allah.

➋ In any case, Ali (radi Allahu anhu) is not the "legatee (wasi) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)"; this is a fabricated propaganda of the Shia, which has no reality nor any basis whatsoever.

And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
The negation of bequest (wasiyyah) here means that no bequest was made regarding wealth, property, worldly affairs, or the matter of caliphate. As for the affirmation, it refers to a bequest concerning adherence to the Qur’an, its teaching, or not traveling to the land of the enemy. Thus, there will be no contradiction between the two statements.
(Wahidi)
After the revelation of the hadith of inheritance, making an unrestricted bequest regarding wealth was abrogated.

Hadith Commentary:
At first glance, this hadith appears to contain a contradiction: the negation of a bequest (wasiyyah), followed by its affirmation. However, there is no contradiction in this, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not make any bequest regarding wealth, property, or leadership and authority. Rather, he did make a bequest to hold firmly to the Qur’an and Sunnah and to act upon them, which is as follows:
“I am leaving among you two things.
As long as you hold fast to both of them, no power in the world will be able to mislead you.
One of them is the Book of Allah, and the other is the Sunnah of His Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).”
(al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik, al-Qadr, Hadith: 1662)
The reality is that as long as the Muslims acted upon this bequest, their influence prevailed in the world, and when they neglected it, they became humiliated and disgraced in the world.
Even today, by acting upon this, their lost honor can be restored.
And Allah is the One whose help is sought.

Explanation:
1:
Ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu understood that this question pertained to a specific bequest (wasiyyah), which is why he answered in the negative.
This does not mean the negation of bequests in general.
Rather, this negation pertains to a financial bequest or a particular bequest related to Ali radi Allahu anhu.
Otherwise, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did make a bequest, as Ibn Abi Awfa himself has narrated.

(1) "No." That is, he did not leave any property by way of bequest because his entire estate was endowed (waqf) and was deposited in the public treasury (bayt al-mal). Or, this is a negation of the bequest which some irreligious people had falsely publicized—that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had made a bequest contrary to the norm in favor of Ali (radi Allahu anhu).

(2) "Bequest upon the Muslims"—perhaps their indication is towards: ﴿كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ… الخ﴾ (), although this verse has been abrogated. Or, it is possible that even in these hadiths, there is no explicit statement of bequest being obligatory; rather, what is prohibited is delaying the bequest—that if someone wishes to make a bequest, he should not delay it.

(3) "He made a bequest regarding the Book of Allah..." And this was the very aim and objective of his entire life; therefore, his bequest was also related to this.

Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:

➊
The questioner’s inquiry was regarding a bequest (wasiyyah) about the caliphate.
Hazrat Ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu clarified that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not make any such bequest.

➋
The questioner’s second question expresses a doubt: since the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam commanded ordinary Muslims to make a bequest, then he himself must have made a bequest—especially in such an important matter as the caliphate, he must surely have stated that after me, so-and-so will be the caliph. In response, it was said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made a bequest to act upon the entire Qur’an.
In which this command is also found:
﴿وَاُولِی الْأَمْرِ مِنْکُمْ﴾ (an-Nisa 4:59)
“Obey those in authority among you (the Muslims).”

➌
The most important aspect of the blessed life of Hazrat Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu is his following of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, it is not possible that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would have appointed Hazrat Ali radi Allahu anhu as caliph, and Hazrat Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu would himself assume this position. Rather, he would have been prepared to go to the utmost limits in obeying the caliph appointed by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.