Provisions that should be observed before death (4)

Question 2/11: What should be written in the will

1: After praising Allah and sending peace and blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), a person should start by reminding his family and children of fearing Allah, ascertaining Tawheed (Oneness of Allah Almighty), reconciling between them, and obeying Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace be upon him), for these advices are accepted especially from a deceased.

2: A legator should command his family to repay his debts.

3: Then a legator should advise his family to apply the Sunnah, such as: Closing his eyes, washing, shrouding, and burying him according to the Sunnah

4: If a legator is found in a society where ignorance spreads, he advises his family to avoid Bid`ah (innovations in the religion) and forbidden actions such as beating the cheeks, tearing clothes, and wailing.

5: He commends that such and such person among the righteous, pious and knowledgeable should perform the funeral Salah at him, as the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) commended that `Umar would offer the funeral Salah at him. Likewise, `Umar commended that Suhayb would offer the funeral Salah at him. Also, Um Salamah commended that Sa`id ibn Zayd would offer Salah at her. `A'ishah commended that Abu Hurayrah would offer Salah at her. Ibn Mas`ud also commended Az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them) to offer Salah at him.

6: He should commend his children to remove any deniable act he did and could not remove during his lifetime, perhaps his children would remove it after his death.

7: He should commend his family to walk moderately with the coffin as was reported in the Sunnah, and offering Salah at him and burying him according to the Sunanh.

8: He should commend with one third of his wealth or less for the poor.

9: Bringing witnesses to his will after writing it and after signing or stamping it to guard it against manipulation.

Secondly: Paying debts to their owners

Before death, a person should render people's rights back to them perhaps his heirs and relatives my neglect paying his due rights as witnessed in our today's reality whether they due to Allah such as Zakah, penance, vows, Hajj; or due to people such as loans and returning trusts to their owners. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The believer's soul is attached by his debt until it is settled for him.”[1]                          

The discussion about paying debts will come in details after two chapters, by the will of Allah.