Malik bin Aus

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

Narrated Malik bin Aus:'I went and entered upon `Umar, his doorman, Yarfa came saying `Uthman, `Abdur-Rahman, Az-Zubair and Sa`d are asking your permission (to see you). May I admit them? `Umar said, 'Yes.' So he admitted them Then he came again and said, 'May I admit `Ali and `Abbas?' He said, 'Yes.' `Abbas said, 'O, chief of the believers! Judge between me and this man (Ali ). `Umar said, 'I beseech you by Allah by Whose permission both the heaven and the earth exist, do you know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Our (the Apostles') property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave (after our death) is to be spent in charity?' And by that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) meant himself.' The group said, '(No doubt), he said so.' `Umar then faced `Ali and `Abbas and said, 'Do you both know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that?' They replied, '(No doubt), he said so.' `Umar said, 'So let me talk to you about this matter. Allah favored His Apostle with something of this Fai' (i.e. booty won by the Muslims at war without fighting) which He did not give to anybody else; Allah said:-- 'And what Allah gave to His Apostle ( Fai' Booty) .........to do all things....(59.6) And so that property was only for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . Yet, by Allah, he neither gathered that property for himself nor withheld it from you, but he gave its income to you, and distributed it among you till there remained the present property out of which the Prophet (ﷺ) used to spend the yearly maintenance for his family, and whatever used to remain, he used to spend it where Allah's property is spent (i.e. in charity etc.). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) followed that throughout his life. Now I beseech you by Allah, do you know all that?' They said, 'Yes.' `Umar then said to `Ali and `Abbas, 'I beseech you by Allah, do you know that?' Both of them said, 'Yes.' `Umar added, 'And when the Prophet (ﷺ) died, Abu Bakr said, ' I am the successor of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and took charge of that property and managed it in the same way as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did. Then I took charge of this property for two years during which I managed it as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr did. Then you both (`Ali and `Abbas) came to talk to me, bearing the same claim and presenting the same case. (O `Abbas!) You came to me asking for your share from the property of your nephew, and this man (Ali) came to me, asking for the share of h is wife from the property of her father. I said, 'If you both wish, I will give that to you on that condition (i.e. that you would follow the way of the Prophet (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr and as I (`Umar) have done in man aging it).' Now both of you seek of me a verdict other than that? Lo! By Allah, by Whose permission both the heaven and the earth exist, I will not give any verdict other than that till the Hour is established. If you are unable to manage it, then return it to me, and I will be sufficient to manage it on your behalf