Sunan Abi Dawud

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When an infant has raised its voice (and then dies), it will be treated as an heir.

To those also, to whom your right hand was pledged, give their due portion. A man made an agreement with another man (in early days of Islam), and there was no relationship between the ; one of them inherited from the other. The following verse of Surat Al-Anfal abrogated it: "But kindred by blood have prior right against each other."

"To those also, to whom your right hand was pledged, give your portion." When the Emigrants came to Medina. they inherited from the Helpers without any blood-relationship with them for the brotherhood which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) established between them. When the following verse was revealed: "To (benefit) everyone we have appointed shares and heirs to property left by parent and relatives." it abrogated the verse: "To those also, to whom your right hand was pledged, give their due portion." This alliance was made for help, well wishing and cooperation. Now a legacy can be made for him. (The right to)inheritance was abolished.

I used to learn the reading of the Qur'an from Umm Sa'd, daughter of al-Rabi'. She was an orphan in the guardianship of Abu Bakr. I read the Qur'anic verse "To those also to whom your right hand was pledged." She said: Do not read the verse; "To those also to whom your right hand was pledged." This was revealed about Abu Bakr and his son 'Abd al-Rahman when he refused to accept Islam. Abu Bakr took an oath that he would not give him a share from inheritance. When he embraced Islam Allah Most High commanded His Prophet (ﷺ) to give him the share. The narrator 'Abd al-Aziz added: He did not accept Islam until he was urged on Islam by sword. Abu Dawud said: He who narrated the word 'aqadat means a pact ; and he who narrated the word 'aaqadat means the party who made a pact. The correct is the tradition of Talhah ('aaqadat).

Referring to the verse: "Those who believed and adopted exile... As to those who believed but came not into exile": A bedouin (who did not migrate to Medina) did not inherit from an emigrant, and an emigrant did no inherit from him. It was abrogated by the verse: "But kindred by blood have prior rights against each other."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is no alliance in Islam, and Islam strengthened the alliance made during pre-Islamic days.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) established an alliance (of brotherhood) between the Emigrants and the Helpers in our house. He was asked: Did not the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There is no alliance in Islam ? He replied: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) established an alliance between the Emigrants and the Helpers in our house. This he said twice or thrice.

Sa'id said: Umar ibn al-Khattab said: Blood-money is meant for the clan of the slain, and she will not inherit from the blood-money of her husband. Ad-Dahhak ibn Sufyan said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrote to me that I should give a share to the wife of Ashyam ad-Dubabi from the blood-money of her husband. So Umar withdrew his opinion. Ahmad ibn Salih said: AbdurRazzaq transmitted this tradition to us from Ma'mar, from az-Zuhri on the authority of Sa'id. In this version he said: The Prophet (ﷺ) made him governor over the bedouins.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The amir (ruler) who is over the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd in charge of the inhabitants of his household and he is responsible for his flock; a woman is a shepherdess in charge of her husband's house and children and she is responsible for them; and a man's slave is a shepherd in charge of his master's property and he is responsible for it. So each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: 'Abdul al-Rahman b. Samurah, do not ask for the position of commander, for if you are given it after asking you will be left to discharge it yourself, but if you are given it without asking you will be helped to discharge it.

I went along with two men to see the Prophet (ﷺ). One of them recited tashahhud and said: We have come to you so that you may employ us for your work. The other also said the same thing. He (the Prophet) replied: The most faithless of you in our eyes is the one who asked for it (responsible post). Abu Musa then apologized to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I did not know why they came to you. He did not employ them for anything until he died.

The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ubn Umm Makthum as a governor of Medina (in his absence) twice.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When Allah has a good purpose for a ruler, He appoints for him a sincere minister who reminds him if he forgets and helps him if he remembers; but when Allah has a different purpose from that for him. He appoints for him an evil minister who does not remind him if he forgets and does not help him if he remembers.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) struck him on his shoulders and then said: You will attain success, Qudaym, if you die without having been a ruler, a secretary, or a chief.

Ghalib quoted a man who stated on the authority of his father that his grandfather reported: They lived at one of the springs. When Islam reached them, the master of the spring offered his people one hundred camels if they embraced Islam. So they embraced Islam, and he distributed the camels among them. But it occurred to him that he should take the camels back from them. He sent his son to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said to him: Go to the Prophet (ﷺ) and tell him: My father extends his greetings to you. He asked his people to give them one hundred camels if they embraced Islam, and they embraced Islam. He divided the camels among them. But it occurred to him then that he should withdraw his camels from them. Is he more entitled to them or we? If he says: Yes or no, then tell him: My father is an old man, and he is the chief of the people living at the water. He has requested you to make me chief after him. He came to him and said: My father has extended his greetings to you. He replied: On you and you father be peace. He said: My father asked his people to give them one hundred camels if they embraced Islam. So they embraced Islam, and their belief in Islam is good. Then it occurred to him that he should take his camels back from them. Is he more entitled to them or are they? He said: If he likes to give them the camels, he may give them; and if he likes to take them back, he is more entitled to them than his people. If they embraced Islam, then for them is their Islam. If they do not embrace Islam, they will be fought against in the cause of Islam. He said: My father is an old man; he is the chief of the people living at the spring. He has asked you to appoint me chief after him. He replied: The office of a chief is necessary, for people must have chiefs, but the chiefs will go to Hell.

The Prophet (ﷺ) has a secretary named Sijill.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The official who collects sadaqah (zakat) in a just manner is like him who fights in Allah's path till he returns home.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: One who wrongfully takes an extra tax (sahib maks) will not enter Paradise.

Sahib maks means one who (receives) tithes (from) people.

'Umar said: I shall not appoint a successor, for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not appoint a successor. If I appoint a successor (I can do so), for Abu Bakr had appointed a successor. He Ibn 'Umar) said: I swear by Allah, he did not mention (anyone) but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr. So I learnt he would not equate anyone with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), for he did not appoint any successor.