\nNarrated Malik bin Aus:\n\n
While I was at home, the sun rose high and it got hot. Suddenly the messenger of `Umar bin Al- \nKhattab came to me and said, \"The chief of the believers has sent for you.\" So, I went along with him \ntill I entered the place where `Umar was sitting on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered \nwith no mattress, and he was leaning over a leather pillow. I greeted him and sat down. He said, \"O \nMali! Some persons of your people who have families came to me and I have ordered that a gift \nshould be given to them, so take it and distribute it among them.\" I said, \"O chief of the believers! I \nwish that you order someone else to do it.\" He said, \"O man! Take it.\" While I was sitting there with \nhim, his doorman Yarfa' came saying, \"`Uthman, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, Az-Zubair and Sa`d bin \nAbi Waqqas are asking your permission (to see you); may I admit them?\" \n`Umar said, \"Yes\", So they were admitted and they came in, greeted him, and sat down. After a while \nYarfa' came again and said, \"May I admit `Ali and `Abbas?\" `Umar said, \"yes.\" So, they were \nadmitted and they came in and greeted (him) and sat down. Then `Abbas said, \"O chief of the \nbelievers! Judge between me and this (i.e. `Ali).\" They had a dispute regarding the property of Bani \nAn-Nadir which Allah had given to His Apostle as Fai. The group (i.e. `Uthman and his companions) \nsaid, \"O chief of the believers! Judge between them and relieve both of them front each other.\" `Umar \nsaid, \"Be patient! I beseech you by Allah by Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exist, do \nyou know that Allah's Apostle said, 'Our (i.e. prophets') property will not be inherited, and whatever \nwe leave, is Sadaqa (to be used for charity),' and Allah's Apostle meant himself (by saying \"we'')?\" \nThe group said, \"He said so.\" `Umar then turned to `Ali and `Abbas and said, \"I beseech you by Allah, \ndo you know that Allah's Apostle said so?\" They replied, \" He said so.\" `Umar then said, \"So, I will \ntalk to you about this matter. Allah bestowed on His Apostle with a special favor of something of this \nFai (booty) which he gave to nobody else.\" `Umar then recited the Holy Verses: \"What Allah \nbestowed as (Fai) Booty on his Apostle (Muhammad) from them --- for this you made no expedition \nwith either cavalry or camelry: But Allah gives power to His Apostles over whomever He will 'And \nAllah is able to do all things.\" 9:6) \n`Umar added \"So this property was especially given to Allah's Apostle, but, by Allah, neither did he \ntake possession of it and leave your, nor did he favor himself with it to your exclusion, but he gave it \nto all of you and distributed it amongst you till this property remained out of it. Allah's Apostle used \nto spend the yearly expenses of his family out of this property and used to keep the rest of its revenue \nto be spent on Allah 's Cause. Allah 's Apostle kept on doing this during all his lifetime. I ask you by \nAllah do you know this?\" They replies in the affirmative. `Umar then said to `Ali and `Abbas. \"I ask \nyou by Allah, do you know this?\" `Umar added, \"When Allah had taken His Prophet unto Him, 'Abu \nBakr said, 'I am the successor of Allah's Apostle so, Abu Bakr took over that property and managed it \nin the same way as Allah's Apostle used to do, and Allah knows that he was true, pious and rightlyguided, \nand he was a follower of what was right. \nThen Allah took Abu Bakr unto Him and I became Abu Bakr's successor, and I kept that property in \nmy possession for the first two years of my Caliphate, managing it in the same way as Allah's Apostle \nused to do and as Abu Bakr used to do, and Allah knows that I have been true, pious, rightly guided, \nand a follower of what is right. Now you both (i.e. 'Ah and `Abbas) came to talk to me, bearing the \nsame claim and presenting the same case; you, `Abbas, came to me asking for your share from your \nnephew's property, and this man, i.e. `Ali, came to me asking for his wife's share from her father's \nproperty. I told you both that Allah's Apostle said, 'Our (prophets') properties are not to be inherited, \nbut what we leave is Sadaqa (to be used for charity).' \nWhen I thought it right that I should hand over this property to you, I said to you, 'I am ready to hand \nover this property to you if you wish, on the condition that you would take Allah's Pledge and \nConvention that you would manage it in the same way as Allah's Apostle used to, and as Abu Bakr \nused to do, and as I have done since I was in charge of it.' So, both of you said (to me), 'Hand it over \nto us,' and on that condition I handed it over to you. So, I ask you by Allah, did I hand it over to them \non this condition?\" The group aid, \"Yes.\" Then `Umar faced `Ali and `Abbas saying, \"I ask you by \nAllah, did I hand it over to you on this condition?\" They said, \"Yes. \" He said, \" Do you want now to \ngive a different decision? By Allah, by Whose Leave both the Heaven and the Earth exist, I will never \ngive any decision other than that (I have already given). And if you are unable to manage it, then \nreturn it to me, and I will do the job on your behalf.\"","english_grade":"Sahih","last_updated":null,"xrefs":""}