Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

رَوَى ثَعْلَبَةُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ اَلسَّابَاطِيِّ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: "صَاحِبُ اَلْمَالِ أَحَقُّ بِمَالِهِ، مَا دَامَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ اَلرُّوحِ يَضَعُهُ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ".

Thaʿlabah ibn Maymun narrated from Abu Al-Hasan Al-Sabaṭi from Ammar ibn Musa that he heard Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) say: "The owner of the wealth has the most right over his wealth as long as there remains in him any part of the soul. He may dispose of it wherever he wishes."

وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ جَبَلَةَ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ لَهُ اَلْوَلَدُ يَسَعُهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ مَالَهُ لِقَرَابَتِهِ قَالَ "هُوَ مَالُهُ يَصْنَعُ بِهِ مَا شَاءَ إِلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ اَلْمَوْتُ".

Abdullah ibn Jabalah narrated from Samaah, from Abu Baṣir, from Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) who said: I asked Imam (a.s), "A man who has children, is it permissible for him to give his wealth to his relatives?" Imam (a.s) replied: "It is his wealth; he may do with it as he wishes until death comes to him."

قَالَ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يُبِينَ بِهِ مِنْ مَالِهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ أَوْ يَهَبَهُ كُلَّهُ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَ يُسَلِّمَهُ مِنَ الْمَوْهُوبِ لَهُ فَأَمَّا إِذَا أَوْصَى بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ الثُّلُثِ.

The author of this book, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, explained this to mean that a person may distribute his wealth during his lifetime or gift all of it while alive and hand it over to the recipient. However, if he bequeaths it (after death), he cannot allocate more than one-third of it.

وَ تَصْدِيقُ ذَلِكَ- مَا رَوَاهُ صَفْوَانُ عَنْ مُرَازِمٍ فِي الرَّجُلِ يُعْطِي الشَّيْءَ مِنْ مَالِهِ فِي مَرَضِهِ قَالَ إِذَا أَبَانَ بِهِ فَهُوَ جَائِزٌ وَ إِنْ أَوْصَى بِهِ فَمِنَ الثُّلُثِ.

And the confirmation of this is what Ṣafwan narrated from Murazim regarding a man who gives something from his wealth during his illness. Imam (a.s) said: "If he clearly transfers it (during his lifetime), then it is valid. However, if he bequeaths it (for after his death), then it is only from one-third of his wealth."

وَ أَمَّا حَدِيثُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ شَدَّادٍ اَلْأَزْدِيِّ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "اَلرَّجُلُ أَحَقُّ بِمَالِهِ مَا دَامَ فِيهِ اَلرُّوحُ إِنْ أَوْصَى بِهِ كُلِّهِ فَهُوَ جَائِزٌ لَهُ".

As for the narration of Ali ibn Asbaṭ from Thaʿlabah from Abu Al-Hasan Amr ibn Shaddad Al-Azdi from Ammar ibn Musa from Abu Abdullah (a.s), who said: "A man has the most right over his wealth as long as his soul remains in him. If he bequeaths all of it, it is permissible for him."

فَإِنَّهُ يَعْنِي بِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَارِثٌ قَرِيبٌ وَ لَا بَعِيدٌ فَيُوصِي بِمَالِهِ كُلِّهِ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ وَ مَتَى كَانَ لَهُ وَارِثٌ قَرِيبٌ أَوْ بَعِيدٌ لَمْ يَجُزْ لَهُ أَنْ يُوصِيَ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنَ الثُّلُثِ وَ إِذَا أَوْصَى بِأَكْثَرَ مِنَ الثُّلُثِ رُدَّ إِلَى الثُّلُثِ.

It means this is permissible if he has no close or distant heir. In such a case, he may bequeath all of his wealth as he wishes. However, if he has a close or distant heir, it is not permissible for him to bequeath more than one-third of his wealth. If he does bequeath more than one-third, it must then be reduced down to one-third.

وَ تَصْدِيقُ ذَلِكَ مَا رَوَاهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي زِيَادٍ اَلسَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ وَ لاَ وَارِثَ لَهُ وَ لاَ عَصَبَةَ قَالَ "يُوصِي بِمَالِهِ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ فِي اَلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ اَلْمَسَاكِينِ وَ اِبْنِ اَلسَّبِيلِ".

And a confirmation of this is what was narrated by Ismaʿil ibn Abi Ziyad Al-Sakuni from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Abu Abdullah Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), that he was asked about a man who dies without leaving behind an heir or any male relative (Aṣabah). Imam (a.s) said: "He may bequeath his wealth as he wishes among the Muslims, the poor, and the wayfarer."

وَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ مُفَسَّرٌ وَ الْمُفَسَّرُ يَحْكُمُ عَلَى الْمُجْمَلِ.

This narration provides a clear explanation, and an explicit (mufassar) narration takes precedence over a general (mujmal) one in determining rulings.