Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥāfiẓ related to us; Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ṣaffār narrated to us; Ismāʿīl ibn Isḥāq the judge narrated to us; Naṣr ibn ʿAlī narrated to us; Ibn Dāwūd, from Fuḍayl ibn Marzūq, who said:

Zayd ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (1) declared: “For my part, had I been in Abū Bakr’s (2) position—may Allah be pleased with him—I would have judged concerning Fadak exactly as Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—judged.”

[Section]

The Rāfiḍah have spoken on this subject out of ignorance. They have taken upon themselves (3) matters of which they have no knowledge, denied what they cannot comprehend, and attempted interpretations that have not yet come to them. They involved themselves in what does not concern them, and some even tried to reject Abū Bakr’s (4) report—may Allah be pleased with him—claiming it contradicts the Qur’an, citing Allah’s words:

“And Solomon inherited David” (al-Naml 16),

and His words recounting Zechariah’s plea:

“So grant me, from Yourself, an heir (5) who will inherit from me and inherit from the House of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, well-pleasing” (Maryam 5–6).

Their inference is invalid for several reasons. First, the phrase “And Solomon inherited David” (al-Naml 16) refers to succession in kingship and prophethood. In other words, We established him after his father over the realm, the administration of subjects, and judgment among the Children of Israel, and We made him a noble prophet like his father. Just as kingship and prophethood were combined for David, so too were they bestowed upon his son after him. The verse is not about inheriting wealth, for David—according to many exegetes—had numerous sons, said to number one hundred (6). Why would Solomon alone be singled out if material inheritance were intended? The intended meaning is inheritance of prophethood and sovereignty.

Hence Allah says, “And Solomon inherited David” (al-Naml 16), and He also says, “O people, we have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been given of everything; surely this is manifest grace” (al-Naml 16), and the verses that follow. We have discussed this at length in our work Tafsīr, which contains sufficient detail—praise and abundant thanks are due to Allah.

As for the story of Zechariah—peace be upon him—he was one of the noble prophets. The life of this world was too insignificant in his eyes for him to ask Allah for a son to inherit his wealth. How could he, when he was a carpenter who lived on what he earned with his own hands, as al-Bukhārī relates (7)? He did not store anything beyond his daily sustenance so that he would seek a child to inherit property—assuming he even possessed such property (8). Rather, he asked for a righteous son who would succeed him in prophethood, look after the affairs of the Children of Israel, and guide them to righteousness.

For that reason Allah says: “Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād (1). A reminder of your Lord’s mercy…”