Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 6710

It is narrated from Abd al-Malik bin Abi Sawiyyah al-Minqari that he said: I was present with Sayyiduna Qays bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) at the time of his death when he made his will. He gathered his sons, who were thirty-two (32) males, and then said: "O my sons! When I die, make the eldest among you your chief so that you remain in the footsteps of your forefathers, and do not make the youngest among you chief, for that will lower your standing among your peers. Do not appoint wailing women (professional mourners) over me, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbid wailing. It is incumbent upon you to put your wealth in good order, for it is a means of raising the esteem of the honourable man, and through it one becomes independent of mean people. Do not give away your camels other than for their due (charity, zakah and the like), nor withhold them from their due. Beware of every bad family and lineage, for whatever pleases you one day will grieve you more than that. Be wary of the sons of your enemies, for they are your enemies, following in the footsteps of their fathers. And when I die, bury me in a place that this tribe of Bakr bin Wa'il will not come to know of, for in the Jahiliyyah there were bloodsheds (enmities) between me and them, and I fear that they will dig up my grave, whereupon you would ruin their worldly life and they would spoil your Hereafter." Then he called for his quiver and ordered his eldest son, whose name was Ali, to take out one arrow from his quiver. He took it out, and he said: "Break it." He broke it. Then he said: "Take out two arrows." He took them out, and he said: "Break them." He broke them too. Then he said: "Take out three arrows." He took them out, and he said: "Break them." He broke them too. Then he said: "Take out thirty (30) arrows." He took them out, and he said: "Bind them with a bowstring." He bound them. Then he said: "Now break them," and he could not break them. Then he said: "O my sons! When you stay together you are like this, and if you separate you are like that (weak)." Then he recited these verses: "True glory is that which a truthful father built and whose deeds his offspring kept alive; and glory, bravery and forbearance are sufficient, provided that chastity and generosity adorn them. O my sons! When thirty (men) are bound by mutual covenants against the calamities of time, they are like those thirty arrows that have been bound firmly against the hardships of time; they never scatter. But if the arrows become separated, their scattering destroys the whole group. Those of mature age and noble character are the most entitled to lead you, and it is incumbent upon them to protect the younger ones until even the youngest among them, with his utmost effort, reaches the age of discernment (maturity)."