830 – Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “It is not proper for a Muslim who owns something he wishes to bequeath to pass two nights without having his will written and kept with him.” Agreed upon (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadith
– mā ḥaqqu imriʾin: mā here is a negative particle meaning “there is not,” while ḥaqq (“it is proper/right”) is the subject; its predicate is found in the excepted phrase that follows.
– muslim: the first adjective modifying “man.”
– lahu shayʾ: the second adjective, “who possesses something.”
– yurīdu an yūṣiya: a phrase describing that “something,” i.e., “which he wishes to bequeath.”
– yabītu laylatayn: the third adjective; “laylatayn” (two nights) is the direct object of yabītu. Mentioning two nights serves only to emphasize urgency, not to set an absolute limit. It is a concession of leniency—no more than this should be exceeded.
– wa-waṣiyyatuhu: a circumstantial clause linked by the conjunction wāw and the attached pronoun.
Waṣiyya, in Islamic law, is a specific directive that takes effect after one’s death.

Lessons derived from the ḥadith
1 – The Prophet ﷺ encourages his community to hasten toward good deeds by seizing the opportunity to make a will before it is too late. He teaches that it is neither sensible nor proper for anyone who owns property he intends to bequeath to neglect this duty until a long period passes. Instead, he should promptly record it in writing and make it clear; at most a delay of one or two nights is tolerated, for a person has no idea what may befall him in this life.
Because of this keen concern, Ibn ʿUmar and others like him used to review their wills every single night. He said