30/1. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3619 — Do Not Postpone Your Written Will
It Is Disliked To Delay Making A Will
Do Not Delay a Written Will Beyond Three Nights
Sunan an-Nasai : 3619
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3619
أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْوَزِيرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا حَقُّ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ لَهُ شَىْءٌ يُوصَى فِيهِ فَيَبِيتُ ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ إِلاَّ وَوَصِيَّتُهُ عِنْدَهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ ".
It was narrated from Salim bin 'Abdullah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said: "It is not right for a Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made, to abide for more than three nights without having a written will with him."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3619In-book reference : Book 30, Hadith 9English translation : Vol. 4, Book 30, Hadith 3649
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3619
This hadith teaches that a Muslim who has something concerning which a will should be made should not pass more than three nights without having the will written. The focus is readiness. A person may have property, instructions, or other matters that need to be recorded, and the hadith warns against leaving the needed document unfinished. It does not explain every legal condition of a will, so detailed rules should not be read into this short narration. Its message is simple and direct: when a will is needed, it should be prepared promptly and kept in written form. This reduces the chance that important directions will remain unknown if the person can no longer explain them.
What we learn from this hadith
- A needed will should be written without a long delay.
- The hadith mentions a limit of three nights in its wording.
- Written instructions help ensure that important matters are not left unknown.
- The narration focuses on readiness rather than giving detailed inheritance rules.
