Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلصَّفَّارُ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: رَجُلٌ أَوْصَى إِلَى رَجُلَيْنِ أَ يَجُوزُ لِأَحَدِهِمَا أَنْ يَنْفَرِدَ بِنِصْفِ اَلتَّرِكَةِ وَ اَلْآخَرِ بِالنِّصْفِ فَوَقَّعَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "لاَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُمَا أَنْ يُخَالِفَا اَلْمَيِّتَ وَ يَعْمَلاَنِ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا أَمَرَهُمَا إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ".

Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Ṣaffar (may Allah (swt) be pleased with him) wrote to Abu Muhammad Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (a.s) asking: "A man appointed two individuals as executors of his will. Is it permissible for one of them to independently handle half of the inheritance and the other to manage the other half?" Imam (a.s) responded in writing: "It is not appropriate for them to act contrary to the deceased's instructions. They should act according to what he commanded them, God willing."

وَ هَذَا التَّوْقِيعُ عِنْدِي بِخَطِّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ.

This written response is confirmed to be in his own handwriting.

وَ فِي كِتَابِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ اَلْكُلَيْنِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ أَخَوَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَبِيهِمَا عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَجُلاً مَاتَ وَ أَوْصَى إِلَى رَجُلَيْنِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ خُذْ نِصْفَ مَا تَرَكَ وَ أَعْطِنِي اَلنِّصْفَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ اَلْآخَرُ فَسَأَلُوا أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ "ذَاكَ لَهُ".

In the book of Muhammad ibn Yaʿqub Al-Kulayni (may Allah (swt) have mercy on him), narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn Al-Hasan Al-Mithami, from his two brothers Muhammad and Ahmad, from their father, from Dawud ibn Abi Yazid, from Burayd ibn Muawiyah, it is reported: A man passed away and appointed two individuals as executors of his will. One of them said to his companion, "Take half of what he left behind, and give me the other half." However, the other refused. They sought guidance from Abu Abdullah (a.s) regarding this matter, and Imam (a.s) said: "That rightfully belongs to him."

قَالَ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ لَسْتُ أُفْتِي بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ بَلْ أُفْتِي بِمَا عِنْدِي بِخَطِّ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع وَ لَوْ صَحَّ الْخَبَرَانِ جَمِيعاً لَكَانَ الْوَاجِبُ الْأَخْذَ بِقَوْلِ الْأَخِيرِ كَمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الصَّادِقُ ع وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْأَخْبَارَ لَهَا وُجُوهٌ وَ مَعَانٍ وَ كُلُّ إِمَامٍ أَعْلَمُ بِزَمَانِهِ وَ أَحْكَامِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ بِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ.

The author of this book (may Allah (swt) have mercy on him) stated: "I do not issue a legal verdict (fatwa) based on this narration. Rather, I issue a fatwa according to what I possess in the handwriting of Imam Hasan ibn Ali (a.s). And if both reports were authentic, it would be obligatory to follow the statement of the latter, as ordered by Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s). This is because narrations have various aspects and meanings, and every Imam (a.s) is more knowledgeable about his time and its rulings than anyone else. And with Allah (swt) is success."