Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Amir ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas that his father said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to me to treat me for a pain which became hard to bear in the year of the farewell hajj. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, you can see how far the pain has reached me. I have property and only my daughter inherits from me. Shall I give two thirds of my property as sadaqa?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'No.' I said, 'Half?' He said, 'No.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A third, and a third is a lot. Leaving your heirs rich is better than leaving them poor to beg from people. You never spend anything on maintenance desiring the Face of Allah by it, but that you are rewarded for it, even what you appoint for your wife.' Sad said, 'Messenger of Allah, will I be left here in Makka after my companions have departed for Madina?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If you are left behind, and do sound deeds you will increase your degree and elevation by them. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit by you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah! complete their hijra for my companions, and do not turn them back on their heels. The unfortunate one is Said ibn Khawla.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was distressed on his account for he had died at Makka."

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about a man who willed a third of his property to a man and said as well, "My slave will serve so-and-so (another man) for as long as he lives, then he is free," then that was looked into, and the slave was found to be a third of the property of the deceased. Malik said, "The service of the slave is evaluated. Then the two of them divide it between them. The one who was willed a third takes his third, as a share, and the one who was willed the service of the slave takes what was evaluated for him of the slave's service. Each of them takes, from the service of the slave or from his wage if he has a wage, according to his share. If the one who was given the service of the slave for as long as he lived dies, then the slave is freed."

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about someone who willed his third and said "So-and-so has such- and-such, and so-and-so has such-and-such," naming some of his property, and his heirs protested ...

Abu'l-'Aliyya al-Bara' said, "'Abdullah ibn as-Samit passed by me and I gave him a chair. He sat down. I told him, 'Ibn Ziyad has delayed the prayer. What do you command?' He hit my thigh (and I think he said, 'So that it left a mark on me') and then he said, 'I asked Abu Dharr as you asked me and he hit my thigh as I have hit yours. He said, "Pray the prayer at the proper time, but if you come across some of them, pray with them and do not say, 'I have already prayed,' and then not pray."'"

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) visited me in my illness which became severe in the year of Hajjat-ul-Wada' (Farewell Pilgrimage). I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you can see the pain which I am suffering and I am a man of means and there is none to inherit from me except one daughter. Should I give two-thirds of my property in charity?" He (PBUH) said, "No". I asked him, "Then half?" He said, "No". Then I asked, "Can I give away one-third". He said, "Give away one-third, and that is still too much. It is better to leave your heirs well-off than to leave them poor, begging people. You will not expend a thing in charity for the sake of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it; even the morsel of food which you feed your wife". I said, "O Messenger of Allah, would I survive my companions?" He said, "If you survive others and accomplish a thing for the sake of Allah, you would gain higher ranking and standing. You will survive them ... your survival will be beneficial to people (the Muslim) and harmful to others (the enemies of Islam). You will survive others till the people will derive benefit from you, and others would be harmed by you." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) further said, "O Allah, complete for my Companions their emigration and do not cause them to retract." Sa'd bin Khaulah was unfortunate. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) lamented his death as he died in Makkah.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].