Hadith Reference:
الْحَدِيثُ الْأَوَّلُ: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: { أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ ، لَهُ شَيْءٌ يُوصِي فِيهِ ، يَبِيتُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ إِلَّا وَوَصِيَّتُهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ عِنْدَهُ }
Ziyādah from Muslim:
قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: مَا مَرَّتْ عَلَيَّ لَيْلَةٌ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ، إِلَّا وَعِنْدِي وَصِيَّتِي
Narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"It is not appropriate for a Muslim who has something to bequeath, to spend two nights without having his will written and kept with him."
And in the addition reported by Muslim: Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said:
"Since I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say this, not a single night has passed without my will being with me."
[Sahih al-Bukhari: 2738, Sahih Muslim: 1627]
A formal declaration or instruction given by a person regarding the distribution of his wealth or charity to be executed after death.
[‘Umdat al-Qāri, by al-‘Ayni: 14/28]
Imam al-Zuhri (رحمه الله) stated:
Allah has declared the writing of a will to be a right, regardless of whether the wealth is abundant or small.
[Tafsir al-Tabari: 2/121]
Abu Mijlaz (رحمه الله) was asked:
"Is it obligatory for everyone to make a will?"
He responded:
"Yes, for everyone who leaves behind any wealth."
[Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah: 6/55]
However, the position of the Four Imams and scholars such as Sufyan al-Thawri (رحمه الله) is that writing a will is not obligatory, whether the person is wealthy or poor.
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 9/312]
Ibn al-‘Arabi (رحمه الله) commented:
Among the early scholars, we do not know of anyone who held the view that making a will is obligatory.
[‘Aridat al-Ahwadhi by Ibn al-‘Arabi: 2748]
This content is derived from the Urdu commentary on ‘Umdat al-Aḥkām min Kalām Khayr al-Anām, translated by Hafiz Faizullah Nasir.
الْحَدِيثُ الْأَوَّلُ: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: { أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ ، لَهُ شَيْءٌ يُوصِي فِيهِ ، يَبِيتُ لَيْلَتَيْنِ إِلَّا وَوَصِيَّتُهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ عِنْدَهُ }
Ziyādah from Muslim:
قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: مَا مَرَّتْ عَلَيَّ لَيْلَةٌ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ، إِلَّا وَعِنْدِي وَصِيَّتِي
Narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"It is not appropriate for a Muslim who has something to bequeath, to spend two nights without having his will written and kept with him."
And in the addition reported by Muslim: Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said:
"Since I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say this, not a single night has passed without my will being with me."
[Sahih al-Bukhari: 2738, Sahih Muslim: 1627]
✿ Explanation of Terminology:
الوصية (al-Waṣiyyah):A formal declaration or instruction given by a person regarding the distribution of his wealth or charity to be executed after death.
✿ Explanation of the Hadith:
This Hadith encourages the practice of writing a will. Literalists have taken this narration as a proof that it is obligatory to write a will.[‘Umdat al-Qāri, by al-‘Ayni: 14/28]
Imam al-Zuhri (رحمه الله) stated:
Allah has declared the writing of a will to be a right, regardless of whether the wealth is abundant or small.
[Tafsir al-Tabari: 2/121]
Abu Mijlaz (رحمه الله) was asked:
"Is it obligatory for everyone to make a will?"
He responded:
"Yes, for everyone who leaves behind any wealth."
[Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah: 6/55]
However, the position of the Four Imams and scholars such as Sufyan al-Thawri (رحمه الله) is that writing a will is not obligatory, whether the person is wealthy or poor.
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 9/312]
Ibn al-‘Arabi (رحمه الله) commented:
Among the early scholars, we do not know of anyone who held the view that making a will is obligatory.
[‘Aridat al-Ahwadhi by Ibn al-‘Arabi: 2748]
This content is derived from the Urdu commentary on ‘Umdat al-Aḥkām min Kalām Khayr al-Anām, translated by Hafiz Faizullah Nasir.