Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla states in the Quran (2:180):
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيْرًا ٱلْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.

"In taraka khayrani l-waṣiyyah".
Leaving a wasiah, a will, is an important matter. It is a Command of Allahﷻ and sunnah for one to write a will, no matter how much a person has.

Mawlanaق said in his Sohbah that there is no need to look whether you are young or old because a sunnah can be done anytime. You gain its rewards whenever you do it.

A will is not exclusive to tangible possessions of wealth. While Sayyidina Yaqub Alayhis salam was about to die, he wanted to remind his children of God and that they must only submit themselves to Himﷻ. So he asked them: Quran (2:133)
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Were you witnesses when death approached Yaqub, when he said to his children, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, the One God, and to Him do we submit.’

Hence, one should also leave behind good advice, beseeching loved ones to preserve the precious teachings of the Guide and Islamic traditions.

Wealth from earnings is a trust (amanah) to us and are accountable in the hereafter. All halal earnings are answerable and all haram earnings become punishable. Therefore, one should be careful to live working for a halal income and not die without a will.

Leaving a will has many rewards. It makes the procedure after death easier for the deceased believer, family left behind and most importantly, one would be obeying the commandment of Allahﷻ and His Prophetﷺ.

The distribution of a will excludes bloodline inheritors and can only be from one-third of a person’s wealth. Nowadays, people ignorantly leave one-hundred percent of their wealth to others, leaving none for family. Wealth is an asset that rightful inheritors should partake in.

Be of service and leave wealth for the family.

Being affluent is virtuous to a believer who spends money in the Way of Allahﷻ. It is a gift to help Muslims in impoverished lands to keep their faith as the Malay saying goes, ‘Kefakiran lebih kepada kekafiran’, ‘Poverty is closer to apostasy’. Sayyidina Ali RadiAllahu anhu said that if poverty was a person, he would slay him.

Wealthy believers can become strong servants of Allahﷻ who use their fortune to comfort those in need. When obtained in a balanced, Islamic way, it will be honoured with Allah’s ﷻ Love. Hence, gaining knowledge on halal wealth investments and making money is also important in order to attain sadaqah jariyah, bringing blessings and peace upon a person even after death and leaving prosperity for the Ummah and loved ones.

May Allahﷻ grant us to be rich, righteous ones walking the middle path and may we depart from this world leaving a wasiah and strong Iman until we reach the safety of our destination in Divine Presence.