Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
On the occasion of Hajjatul Wadaa’, Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had fallen ill in Makkah Mukarramah and he feared that he would pass away. When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came to visit him, he began to weep. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked him, “Why are you weeping?” Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “I fear that I will pass away in the land from which I had performed Hijrah, and through passing away here, the reward of my hijrah will be lost.”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then made the following du‘aa thrice for Hazrat Sa’d’s (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) recovery, “O Allah! Cure Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)!”
Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thereafter asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I have abundant wealth, and I only have a daughter who is well-off. Can I make a wasiyyat (bequest) for all my wealth (to be given in charity after my demise)?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “No.”
Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then asked, “Can I bequest for two-thirds of my wealth (to be given in charity after my demise)?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “No.”
Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then asked if he could bequest for half of his wealth to be given in charity after his demise, to which Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied in the negative.
Finally, Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) if he could bequest for one-third of his wealth to be given in charity after his demise. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “(Yes, you may bequeath) one-third, but bequeathing one-third is a lot (to bequeath from your right). Indeed, all the charity that you give from your wealth is charity, whatever you spend on your dependants is charity, whatever your wife uses from your wealth is charity, and for you to leave your family (after your demise) in prosperity is better than for you to leave them (in a condition of poverty) stretching their hands before people (begging due to poverty).”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) thereafter addressed Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saying, “You will certainly remain alive, until many people will benefit through you, and many others will be harmed through you.” (Saheeh Muslim #1628)
Some Muhadditheen say that this prophecy of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was in reference to Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) conquering the land of Qaadisiyyah through which Muslims benefited and harm was caused to the kuffaar.
