“Rabab bin Hudhaifah (bin Sa’eed) bin Sahm married Umm Wa’il bint Ma’mar Al-Jumahiyyah, and she bore him three sons. Their mother died and her sons inherited her houses and the Wala’ of her freed slaves. ‘Amr bin ‘As took them out to Sham, and they died of the plague of ‘Amwas. ‘Amr inherited from them, and he was their ‘Asabah.* When ‘Amr came back, Banu Ma’mar came to him and they referred their dispute with him concerning the Wala’ of their sister to ‘Umar. ‘Umar said: ‘I will judge between you according to what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (saw). I heard him say: “What the son or father acquires goes to his. ‘Asabah, no matter who they are.’” So he ruled in our favour and wrote a document to that effect, in which was the testimony of ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf, Zaid bin Thabit and someone else. Then when ‘Abdul-Malik bin Marwan was appointed caliph, a freed slave of hers (Umm Wa’il’s) died, leaving behind two thousand Dinar. I heard that that ruling had been changed, so they referred the dispute to Hisham bin Isma’il. We referred the matter to ‘Abdul-Malik, and brought him the document of ‘Umar. He said: ‘I thought that this was a ruling concerning which there was no doubt. I never thought that the people of Al-Madinah would reach such a state that they would doubt this ruling. So he ruled in our favour, and it remained like that afterwards.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman from more than one of the people of knowledge of that time, that those who were killed on the Day of the Camel, the Day of Siffin, the Day of al-Harra, and the Day of Qudayd did not inherit from each other. None of them inherited anything from his companion unless it was known that he had been killed before his companion.

Malik said, "That is the way of doing things about which there is no dispute, and which none of the people of knowledge in our city doubt. The procedure with two mutual heirs who are drowned, or killed in another way, when it is not known which of them died first is the same - neither of them inherits anything from his companion. Their inheritance goes to whoever remains of their heirs. They are inherited from by the living."

Malik said, "No one should inherit from anyone else when there is doubt, and one should only inherit from the other when there is certainty of knowledge and witnesses. That is because a man and his mawla whom his father has freed might die at the same time. The sons of the free man could say, 'Our father inherited from the mawla.' They should not inherit from the mawla without knowledge or testimony that he died first. The living people most entitled to his wala' inherit from him."

Malik said, "Another example is two full brothers who die. One of them has children and the other does not. They have a half-brother by their father. It is not known which of them died first, so the inheritance of the childless one goes to his half-brother by the father. The children of the full-brother get nothing."

Malik said, "Another example is when a paternal aunt and the son of her brother die, or else the daughter of the brother and her paternal uncle. It is not known which of them died first. The paternal uncle does not inherit anything from the daughter of his brother, and the son of the brother does not inherit anything from his paternal aunt."

'Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Messenger of Allah, teach me what to say in the mornings and evenings." He said, "Abu Bakr, say, 'O Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Knower of the Unseen and Visible. the Lord of all things and their Master. I seek refuge with You from the evil of shaytan and his encouragement to associate and that I bring evil on myself or bring it on another Muslim.'"'"

So-and-so asked and said, "O Allah's Messenger, what do you think if one of us finds his wife committing adultery, how should he act? If he talks he would talk about a grievous affair, and if he keeps silent he would keep silent about something similar (a grievous affair)." He gave no answer. Afterwards he came to him (SAW) and said, "I have been afflicted with the very problem which I had asked you about." Then Allah revealed the verses of Surat an-Nur (the Light). He then recited them to him and exhorted, admonished and informed him that the punishment of this world is easier than that of the Hereafter. He said, "No, by Him Who sent you with the Truth, I have not lied against her." He then summoned the woman and exhorted her in the same way. She said, "No, by Him Who sent you with the Truth, he is a liar." He began with the man; and he (the man) bore witness four times with an oath by Allah; he then did the same with the woman, then he separated them. [Reported by Muslim].

We visited 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with him) when he was in his deathbed. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: "O father, did not the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) give you the good news of such and such? Did he not give you glad tidings of such and such?" Then he ('Amr) turned his face towards us and said: "The best thing which you can count upon is the affirmation that: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah), and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have passed through three phases. I remember when I hated none more than I hated the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and there was no other desire stronger in me than that of killing him. Had I died in that state, I would have definitely been one of the dwellers of Fire (Hell). When Allah instilled the love for Islam in my heart, I went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, 'Extend your right hand, so that I pledge allegiance to you.' He (PBUH) stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He said, 'What is the matter, 'Amr?' I said, 'I wish to lay down same conditions.' He asked, 'What conditions do you wish to put forward?' I replied, 'To be granted forgiveness.' He said, 'Do you not know that (embracing) Islam wipes out all that has gone before it (previous misdeeds). Verily, emigration wipes out all the previous sins, and the Hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all the previous sins.' Thereafter, no one was dearer to me than Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and none was more respectable than him in my eyes. So bright was his splendour that I could not gather enough courage to look at his face for any length of time. If I were asked to describe his feature, I would not be able to do so because I have never caught a full glimpse of his face. Had I died in that state I could have hoped to be one of the dwellers of Jannah. Thereafter, we were made responsible for many things and in the light of which I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, no mourner, nor fire should accompany my bier. When you bury me, throw the earth gently over me and stand over my grave for the space of time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy, and in your presence ascertain what answer can I give to the Messengers of my Rubb (the angels in grave)."

[Muslim].

"We were sitting with the Prophet (SAW) when a man came to him whose clothes were intensely white and whose hair was intensely black; no signs of travel could be seen upon him, and none of us recognized him. He sat down facing the Prophet (SAW), with his knees touching his, and he put his hands on his thighs, and said: 'O Muhammad, what is Islam?' He said: 'To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah, to establish regular prayer, to pay Zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to perform Hajj to the House (the Ka'bah).' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' We were amazed by him: He asked a question, then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, what is Iman faith? He said: 'To believe in Allah, His angels, His Messengers, His books, the Last day, and the Divine Decree (Qadar), both the good of it and the bad of it.' He said' You have spoken the truth.' We were amazed by him. He asked a question, then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, what is Ihsan (right action, goodness, sincerity)? He said: 'To worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you do not see Him, He sees you.' He asked: "When will the Hour be?' He said: 'The one who is being asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking.' He asked: 'Then what are its signs?' he said: 'When the slave woman gives birth to her mistress' (Waki' said: This means when non-Arabs will give birth to Arabs") 'and when you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in constructing tall buildings.' The Prophet (SAW) met me three days later and asked me: 'Do you know who that man was? I said" 'Allah and his Messenger know best.' He said: 'That was Jibril, who came to you to teach you your religion.'"