أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ يَعْنِي الثَّانِيَ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَوْصَى إِلَيَّ وَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أُعْطِيَ عَمّاً لَهُ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ شَيْئاً فَمَاتَ الْعَمُّ فَكَتَبَ ع أَعْطِ وَرَثَتَهُ[3].
I asked Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (as), (the second (as)), about a man who had appointed me as his executor and instructed to give something to his uncle every year. The uncle then passed away. Abu Jafar (as) wrote in response: "Give it to his heirs."
الْوَصِيَّةُ لِوَارِثِ الَّذِي أُوصِيَ لَهُ وَ قَالَ ع مَنْ أَوْصَى لِأَحَدٍ شَاهِدٍ أَوْ غَائِبٍ فَتُوُفِّيَ الْمُوصَى لَهُ قَبْلَ الْمُوصِي فَالْوَصِيَّةُ لِوَارِثِ الَّذِي أُوصِيَ لَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فِي وَصِيَّتِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ[4].
"Commander of the Faithful (as) ruled concerning a man who made a bequest to another, but the person to whom the bequest was made was absent and died before the one who made the bequest. Imam (as) said: 'The bequest is for the heir of the one to whom it was made.' Imam (as) also said: 'Whoever makes a bequest to someon
اطْلُبْ لَهُ وَارِثاً أَوْ مَوْلًى فَادْفَعْهَا إِلَيْهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْلَمْ لَهُ وَلِيُّ قَالَ اجْهَدْ أَنْ تَقْدِرَ لَهُ عَلَى وَلِيٍّ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْهُ وَ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْكَ الْجَهْدَ فَتَصَدَّقْ بِهَا[2].
I asked Imam (as) about a man for whom a bequest was made, but he died before receiving it and left no offspring. Imam (as) said: "Seek an heir or his mawla (guardian) and give it to him." I asked: "What if no heir is known?" Imam (as) replied: "Exert yourself in searching for an heir for him, and if you cannot find on