Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah

Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 92 :: Hadith 408

Narrated Malik bin Aus An-Nasri:

I proceeded till I entered upon 'Umar (and while I was sitting there), his gate-keeper Yarfa came to him and said, " 'Uthman, 'Abdur-Rahman, Az-Zubair and Sa'd ask your permission to come in." 'Umar allowed them. So they entered, greeted, and sat down. (After a while the gatekeeper came) and said, "Shall I admit 'Ali and 'Abbas?'' 'Umar allowed them to enter. Al-'Abbas said "O Chief of the believers! Judge between me and the oppressor ('Ali)." Then there was a dispute (regarding the property of Bani Nadir) between them ('Abbas and 'Ali). 'Uthman and his companions said, "O Chief of the Believers! Judge between them and relieve one from the other." Umar said, "Be patient! beseech you by Allah, with Whose permission the Heaven and the Earth Exist! Do you know that Allah's Apostle said, 'Our property is not to be inherited, and whatever we leave is to be given in charity,' and by this Allah's Apostle meant himself?" On that the group said, "He verily said so." 'Umar then faced 'Ali and 'Abbas and said, "I beseech you both by Allah, do you both know that Allah's Apostle said so?" They both replied, "Yes". 'Umar then said, "Now I am talking to you about this matter (in detail) . Allah favored Allah's Apostle with some of this wealth which He did not give to anybody else, as Allah said: 'What Allah bestowed as Fai (Booty on His Apostle for which you made no expedition... ' (59.6)

So that property was totally meant for Allah's Apostle, yet he did not collect it and ignore you, nor did he withhold it with your exclusion, but he gave it to you and distributed it among you till this much of it was left behind, and the Prophet, used to spend of this as the yearly expenditures of his family and then take what remained of it and spent it as he did with (other) Allah's wealth. The Prophet did so during all his lifetime, and I beseech you by Allah, do you know that?" They replied, "Yes." 'Umar then addressed 'Ali and 'Abbas, saying, "I beseech you both by Allah, do you know that?" Both of them replied, "Yes." 'Umar added, "Then Allah took His Apostle unto Him. Abu Bakr then said 'I am the successor of Allah's Apostle' and took over all the Prophet's property and disposed of it in the same way as Allah's Apostle used to do, and you were present then." Then he turned to 'Ali and 'Abbas and said, "You both claim that Abu Bakr did so-and-so in managing the property, but Allah knows that Abu Bakr was honest, righteous, intelligent, and a follower of what is right in managing it.

Then Allah took Abu Bakr unto Him, 'I said: I am the successor of Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr.' So I took over the property for two years and managed it in the same way as Allah's Apostle, and Abu Bakr used to do. Then you both ('Ali and 'Abbas) came to me and asked for the same thing! (O 'Abbas! You came to me to ask me for your share from nephew's property; and this ('Ali) came to me asking for his wives share from her father's property, and I said to you both, 'If you wish, I will place it in your custody on condition that you both will manage it in the same way as Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr did and as I have been doing since I took charge of managing it; otherwise, do not speak to me anymore about it.'

Then you both said, 'Give it to us on that (condition).' So I gave it to you on that condition. Now I beseech you by Allah, did I not give it to them on that condition?" The group (whom he had been addressing) replied, "Yes." 'Umar then addressed 'Abbas and 'Ali saying, "I beseech you both by Allah, didn't I give you all that property on that condition?" They said, "Yes." 'Umar then said, "Are you now seeking a verdict from me other than that? By Him with Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exists I will not give any verdict other than that till the Hour is established; and if you both are unable to manage this property, then you can hand it back to me, and I will be sufficient for it on your behalf." (See, Hadith No. 326, Vol. 4)