صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب الوصيةThe Book of Wills
باب الْوَصِيَّةِ بِالثُّلُثِ:Chapter: Bequeathing One-Third
حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى الرَّازِيُّ ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ يُونُسَ . ح وحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ . ح وحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ كُلُّهُمْ ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : " لَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ غَضُّوا مِنَ الثُّلُثِ إِلَى الرُّبُعِ ، فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ " وَفِي حَدِيثِ وَكِيعٍ كَبِيرٌ أَوْ كَثِيرٌ .
Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: (I wish) if people would reduce from third to fourth (part for making a will of their property), for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: So far as the third (part) is concerned it is quite substantial. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki (the words are) "large" or "much".
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Statements from some Companions (radi Allahu anhum) and Followers (tabi‘in) have been transmitted regarding making it less than a quarter. The fundamental principle is that the person making the bequest should consider the amount of his estate, the number of his heirs, and their needs, and thus make it less than a third. However, during his lifetime, he may spend as much as he wishes in the way of Allah (fi sabilillah) or on righteous deeds; there is no restriction upon this.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 4218
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
In this hadith, the limit of bequest (wasiyyah) has been specified: it is permissible to make a bequest for up to one third of one’s wealth; making a bequest for more than this is not allowed. Unfortunately, some people, out of anger or excessive love for someone, make a bequest for their entire wealth—this is a sin, and it is not effective. If a person makes such a bequest, it will not be acted upon.
In this hadith, the limit of bequest (wasiyyah) has been specified: it is permissible to make a bequest for up to one third of one’s wealth; making a bequest for more than this is not allowed. Unfortunately, some people, out of anger or excessive love for someone, make a bequest for their entire wealth—this is a sin, and it is not effective. If a person makes such a bequest, it will not be acted upon.
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 531
