Amir bin Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me in the year of the Farewell Hajj, and I was in great pain. I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! The illness has reached me as you see, and I am a man of wealth, and my only heir is one daughter. Shall I not bequeath two thirds of my wealth? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I said: Half? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I asked: A third? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Even a third is a lot. That you leave your heirs behind you wealthy is better than that you leave them needy, stretching out their hands to people. And be certain that whatever you spend, if the aim of it is the pleasure of Allah, you will be rewarded for it, even if you put a morsel in your wife's mouth." I said: What if I am left behind after my companions? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you are left behind and then do some deed by which the pleasure of Allah Almighty is sought, your rank will be raised; and it is hoped that you will live on, so that some people will benefit from you and others will be harmed by you. 'Allahumma amdi li-ashabi hijratahum, wa la taruddahum 'ala a'qabihim' (O Allah, complete the emigration of my Companions and do not turn them back on their heels). But the pity is for Sa'd bin Khawlah." He (peace and blessings be upon him) grieved for him because he had died in Makkah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12565
Amir bin Sa'd (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father that he said: I fell ill in the year of the Conquest of Makkah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited me. I said: O Messenger of Allah! I have much wealth and my only heir is one daughter; shall I bequeath all my wealth? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I said: Half? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I said: A third? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A third is fine, and even a third is a lot. That you leave your heirs well-off is better than that you leave them needy, stretching out their hands to people. You will certainly be rewarded for all your spending, even if you put a morsel in your wife's mouth, there is reward in that too." I said: O Messenger of Allah! I fear that I will die in the land from which I emigrated. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I hope that you will live on, until some people benefit from you and others are harmed by you. 'Allahumma amdi li-ashabi hijratahum, wa la taruddahum 'ala a'qabihim' (O Allah, complete the emigration of my Companions and do not turn them back on their heels); but 'the unfortunate one is Sa'd bin Khawlah (may Allah be pleased with him)', because he died in Makkah."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12567
Through one chain it is reported: "Whatever you spend, you will be rewarded for it, even a morsel that you put into your wife's mouth." I said: O Messenger of Allah! Will I be left behind from my emigration? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will live on after me, and you will do deeds seeking Paradise, so your ranks will be raised; and perhaps you will live on until some people benefit from you and others are harmed by you."
Sufyan differed from the majority in saying "the year of the Conquest"; the preserved (mahfuz) wording is "the year of the Farewell Hajj".
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12568
Amir bin Sa'd (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visited me (when I was ill). I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Pray that Allah does not turn me back. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah will raise you, and people will benefit from you." I said: I intend to make a bequest, and I have only one daughter; shall I bequeath half? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Half is a lot." I said: A third? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A third is fine, and even a third is a lot." So I bequeathed a third, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted it for me.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12569
In one chain the words are: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me while I was ill. I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Shall I bequeath all my wealth? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I said: Two thirds? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No." I said: One third. He (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent, so the bequest was of a third.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12570
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty has given you a third of your wealth at the time of your death, as an increase in your deeds."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12571
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the bequest, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A third is right; it is neither too little nor too much.
(6) Chapter: One who held it recommended to bequeath less than a third when he does not leave his heirs well-off, taking as evidence what we have narrated in the hadith of Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12572
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: If people reduced (their bequest) from a third to a quarter in their wills, that would be better, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A third, and even a third is a lot."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12573
Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was mentioned to us that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) bequeathed a fifth of his wealth and said: "From my wealth I am content only with what Allah was content with from the spoils of the Muslims." And Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It used to be said: A fifth is reasonable, a quarter is a strain, and a third is what the judges permit.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12574
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding the one who bequeaths a fifth, that he is better than the one who bequeaths a quarter, and the one who bequeaths a quarter is better than the one who bequeaths a third.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12575
Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "For me, bequeathing a quarter is more beloved than bequeathing a third; whoever bequeaths a third has not left anything (for his heirs)."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الوصايا / 12576