Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 19, Hadith 3

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: I fell ill, and I had seven sisters. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me and blew on my face. So I became conscious. I said: Messenger of Allah, may I not bequeath one-third of my property to my sisters? He replied: Do good. I asked: Half? He replied: Do good. He then went out and left me, and said: I do not think, Jabir, you will die of this disease. Allah has revealed (verses) and described the share of your sisters. He appointed two-thirds for them. Jabir used to say: This verse was revealed about me: “They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs.

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، – يَعْنِي الدَّسْتَوَائِيَّ – عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ اشْتَكَيْتُ وَعِنْدِي سَبْعُ أَخَوَاتٍ فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَنَفَخَ فِي وَجْهِي فَأَفَقْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ أُوصِي لأَخَوَاتِي بِالثُّلُثِ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَحْسِنْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ الشَّطْرَ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَحْسِنْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ وَتَرَكَنِي فَقَالَ ‏”‏ يَا جَابِرُ لاَ أُرَاكَ مَيِّتًا مِنْ وَجَعِكَ هَذَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَنْزَلَ فَبَيَّنَ الَّذِي لأَخَوَاتِكَ فَجَعَلَ لَهُنَّ الثُّلُثَيْنِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَكَانَ جَابِرٌ يَقُولُ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِيَّ ‏{‏ يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِي الْكَلاَلَةِ ‏}‏ ‏.‏

Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 19, Hadith 3

 
This hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. What truly distinguishes Sunan Abi Dawud among its peers is its compiler’s advanced critical scholarship. Abu Dawud was not merely a collector but a rigorous evaluator. He applied a discerning methodology to vet the authenticity of each narration, frequently providing his own notes on the strength or weakness of the hadiths included. While he prioritized sound (sahih) and reliable reports for legal derivation, he sometimes included less robust narrations to illustrate scholarly points. This transparent and critical approach is a primary reason for the collection’s esteemed and highly authoritative status within the Islamic sciences.

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For more Hadith in Book 19: Shares of Inheritance (Kitab Al-Fara’id)
 

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