Another takeaway is that one should reduce the bequest to less than one-third of the estate—one-quarter, one-fifth, or even less—for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged cutting it back when he said, “and a third is much.” On the basis of this ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) remarked, “If people would lower the one-third to a quarter, it would be better, because the Prophet said, ‘A third—and a third is much.’”

A bequest (waṣiyyah) is treated like a lifetime gift: it is impermissible for a person to allocate more than one-third of his property to take effect after death; it must be one-third or less.

The optimal amount for a bequest is one-fifth of the estate. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Be satisfied with what Allah has chosen for Himself: one-fifth,” and he therefore stipulated one-fifth in his own will. For this reason our jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) state that it is recommended to bequeath one-fifth if the estate is substantial.

The hadith also teaches that when a person’s wealth is small and his heirs are poor, it is preferable not to make any bequest at all, whether large or small. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Indeed, leaving your heirs well-off is better than leaving them destitute.” This refutes the common assumption that a will is obligatory. Someone of limited means whose heirs lack resources should not make a bequest; abstaining is the better course.

Some ordinary people imagine that if a person leaves no bequest he gains no reward. That is incorrect. If he leaves his wealth to his heirs, he is rewarded for doing so—though the heirs will inherit it automatically—provided he is following the Prophetic guidance, for the Prophet said, “If you leave your heirs…"