64/83. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4460 — The Prophet’s Will About Allah’s Book
The sickness of the Prophet (saws) and his death
وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ مَيِّتُونَ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ}.
Hadith About the Prophet’s Will and Allah’s Book
Sahih Bukhari : 4460
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4460
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ مِغْوَلٍ، عَنْ طَلْحَةَ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَوْصَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لاَ. فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ كُتِبَ عَلَى النَّاسِ الْوَصِيَّةُ أَوْ أُمِرُوا بِهَا قَالَ أَوْصَى بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ.
Talha Narrated from:
I asked `Abdullah bin Abu `Aufa "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) make a will? ' He replied, "No." I further asked, "How comes it that the making of a will was enjoined on the people or that they were ordered to make it? " He said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) made a will concerning Allah's Book."
[1] He advised the people to understand and act upon the Qur’ān.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4460In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 476USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 737
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4460
This hadith answers a clear question: did the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم make a will? Abdullah bin Abu Awfa replied that he did not make a personal will in the way people may expect. When Talha asked how people were ordered to make wills, the answer was that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made a will concerning Allah’s Book. The main lesson is simple: the Qur’an remains the central guidance for Muslims. For anyone searching for a hadith about the Prophet’s will, this narration points the heart back to Allah’s Book rather than to wealth or private instruction. It also teaches that religious guidance should be tied to revelation, not guesswork.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not leave a personal will as Talha first asked about.
- The lasting instruction mentioned here is connected to Allah’s Book.
- Questions about religious practice should be answered with clear knowledge.
