The Matters for which one can Make a Will and what is Preferable in the Issue

كَانَ الْبَرَاءُ بْنُ مَعْرُورٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بِمَكَّةَ وَ إِنَّهُ حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ وَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بِمَكَّةَ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ وَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يُصَلُّونَ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَ أَوْصَى الْبَرَاءُ إِذَا دُفِنَ أَنْ يُجْعَلَ وَجْهُهُ إِلَى تِلْقَاءِ النَّبِيِّ ص إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ[1] وَ أَوْصَى بِثُلُثِ مَالِهِ فَجَرَتْ بِهِ السُّنَّةُ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that al-Bara’ ibn Ma’rur al-Ansariy lived in al-Madinah. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, lived in Makkah, and with his companions performed Salat (prayer) facing the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis. Al-B

كَتَبَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع‌ أَنَّ دُرَّةَ بِنْتَ مُقَاتِلٍ تُوُفِّيَتْ وَ تَرَكَتْ ضَيْعَةً أَشْقَاصاً[2] فِي مَوَاضِعَ وَ أَوْصَتْ لِسَيِّدِهَا مِنْ أَشْقَاصِهَا بِمَا يَبْلُغُ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الثُّلُثِ وَ نَحْنُ أَوْصِيَاؤُهَا وَ أَحْبَبْنَا أَنْ نُنْهِيَ إِلَى سَيِّدِنَا فَإِنْ هُوَ أَمَرَ بِإِمْضَاءِ الْوَصِيَّةِ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا أَمْضَيْنَاهَا وَ إِنْ أَمَرَ بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ انْتَهَيْنَا

“Durrah, daughter of Muqatil has died. She has left assets and pieces of land in several places. She had made a will for her master of the pieces of land, which was more than one-third of her legacy. We are the executors of her will and like to ask our master if he commands to approve that will as it is, so we can also

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ مَا لَهُ مِنْ مَالِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ ثُلُثُ مَالِهِ وَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَيْضاً.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who dies and about what is for him from his legacy. He (the Imam) said, ‘One third of his legacy is for him and this applies to a woman also.’”

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ يَقُولُ‌ لَأَنْ أُوصِيَ بِخُمُسِ مَالِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُوصِيَ بِالرُّبُعِ وَ لَأَنْ أُوصِيَ بِالرُّبُعِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُوصِيَ بِالثُّلُثِ وَ مَنْ أَوْصَى بِالثُّلُثِ فَلَمْ يَتَّرِكْ فَقَدْ بَالَغَ قَالَ وَ قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي رَجُلٍ تُوُفِّيَ وَ أَوْصَى بِمَالِهِ كُلِّهِ أَوْ أَكْثَرِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْوَصِيَّةَ تُرَدُّ إ

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), in this statement refers to the words of ’Amir al-Mu’minin. He (the Imam) said, ‘If I make a will about one-fifth of my legacy it is better than making a will about one- fourth of my legacy, and if I make a will about one-fourth of my legacy it is better than a will about one-third of my legacy. One

مَنْ أَوْصَى بِالثُّلُثِ فَقَدْ أَضَرَّ بِالْوَرَثَةِ وَ الْوَصِيَّةُ بِالْخُمُسِ وَ الرُّبُعِ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْوَصِيَّةِ بِالثُّلُثِ وَ مَنْ أَوْصَى بِالثُّلُثِ فَلَمْ يَتَّرِكْ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one makes a will about one-third of his legacy he has harmed the heirs. Making a will about one-fifth or one-fourth of the legacy is better than making a will about one-third. If one makes a will about one-third he has not left anything (for the heirs).’”

مَنْ أَوْصَى بِالثُّلُثِ فَلَمْ يَتَّرِكْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one makes a will about one-third has not left any legacy.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ مَنْ أَوْصَى بِثُلُثِ مَالِهِ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ خَطَأً فَإِنَّ ثُلُثَ دِيَتِهِ دَاخِلٌ فِي وَصِيَّتِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘If one makes a will about one-third of his legacy, then is killed by mistake, one-third of the wergild for him becomes part of that which he has willed.’”