When a Muslim dies, whatever he leaves behind goes to his heirs. Islam has established a perfectly detailed system of inheritance, which is fair to all, taking into account responsibilities and privileges. No one can disinherit an heir, and no one can give an heir more than the share God has given him or her.
However, the Islamic system of inheritance allows any person to bequeath a maximum of one-third of their total estate by will. Such bequests cannot go to any of the heirs. They go either to relatives who are not heirs or to charitable purposes.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) lived most of his life, particularly after he started to deliver God’s message, in poverty. However, toward the end of his life, the fortunes of the Muslim community improved markedly. At one stage the Prophet is said to have provided his family with supplies that were enough for a year. Therefore, it is pertinent to explain what happened to his estate after his death. We need first to emphasize that despite the change in fortunes, the Prophet continued to lead a very simple life, giving away whatever he could.
The first thing to ask about is whether he had any will made. Talhah ibn Musarrif reports: “I asked Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, a companion of the Prophet, whether the Prophet had bequeathed anything by will. He said: ‘No.’ I said: ‘How come, when people have been told to make wills?’ He said: ‘The Prophet’s will was to follow God’s book.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Nassaie and Ibn Majah.) Thus, the Prophet’s will was to urge his followers to implement God’s book and observe its teachings. There was nothing of material value to bequeath to anyone. We learn this from other reports by some of his relatives who thought that they had a share of his inheritance.
Lady Ayesha reports: “When the Prophet died he did not leave behind a single dinar or dirham; nor did he leave a sheep or a camel. He made no will.” (Related by Muslim, Al-Nassaie, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi.) A similar Hadith is related by Al-Bukhari but reported by Amr ibn Al-Harith: “At the time of his death, God’s Messenger left neither dirham or dinar, nor a male or female slave. Indeed he left nothing other than his white mule, his personal arms and a piece of land which he left for charity.”
Both these Hadiths are authentic and they are clear in asserting that the Prophet did not leave behind anything, which could be classified as an estate to be taken over by his heirs. All that he had was what he needed for his ordinary life: a mount to do his travel and his personal arms in case there was need for that. Indeed only a few people realized that the Prophet could not be inherited by anyone, not even his wives or closest relatives.
Ayesha reports: “When the Prophet died, his wives wanted to send Uthman to speak to Abu Bakr requesting him to give them what the Prophet left behind. Ayesha said to them: ‘Do you not remember the Prophet saying that we are not inherited by anyone. Whatever we leave behind goes to charity.’” (Related in five of the six authentic anthologies.)
Indeed there are several Hadiths and reports to confirm that whatever a prophet leaves behind goes to charity, or sadaqah. Nothing is left to heirs, either by will or according to the Islamic system of inheritance. Yet this point was unknown to many of the Prophet’s relatives. We have reports that Fatimah, the only one of the Prophet’s children to survive him, requested her share from Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s successor. He told her that he heard the Prophet stating that whatever is left behind by any prophet goes to charity. In fulfilment of the Prophet’s instructions, he gave her nothing.
Another report is on the authority of Abu Al-Bakhtari who says: “Al-Abbas and Ali came to see Umar and complained to him about the Prophet’s inheritance. Umar said to Talhah, Al-Zubayr, Abd Al-Rahman ibn Awf and Saad ibn Abi Waqqas: ‘I appeal to you by God. Have you not heard the Prophet saying: Everything a Prophet leaves behind goes to charity, other than what He gives him to feed? We are not inherited.’” They all confirmed this.
Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet as saying: “My heirs shall not divide among themselves a dinar or a dirham. Whatever I leave behind other than the maintenance of my wives and my servant goes to charity.” (Related by Al-Shafie, Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
All these Hadiths confirm that the Prophet did not leave anything for his heirs. He emphasized that he would not leave a dinar or a dirham, which were respectively the gold and silver currencies in circulation at the time. Yet the Prophet had some property at the time of his death as explained in the following authentic Hadith reported by Ayesha: “Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter, sent to Abu Bakr requesting him to give her her share of the Prophet’s inheritance, including what God gave him of gains in Madinah, Fadak and what was left of the one-fifth share of war gains in Khaybar due to him. Abu Bakr replied: ‘God’s Messenger said: We prophets are not inherited. Whatever we leave behind goes to charity.
The only thing is that Muhammad’s household will eat from this property. By God I will not alter anything of the Prophet’s charity. I will leave it as it was during his lifetime and will conduct it as he conducted it.’ Thus, Abu Bakr refused to give anything to Fatimah. She felt aggrieved and did not speak to him for the rest of her life. She lived only six months after the Prophet’s death.” (Related by Muslim.)
