Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Tilib 129
among the foremost to embrace slam,^' of whom Allah said that He
is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. All four were
killed and were granted martyrdom, so we love them and we hate the
four who killed these four."443
1.8.14. Az-Zubayr's eagerness that his
debts should be paid off when he died
It was narrated that Abdullah ibn ai-Zubayr said: "On the day
of the Camel, az-Zubayr left instrnctions that I was to pay off his
debts. He said: 'If you have any difficulty in doing so, then seek help
from my Master.' By Allah, I did not understand what he meant until
I said: '0 my father, who is your Master?' He said: 'AUah is my
Master; I never had any difficulty paying a debt but I would say, "0
Master of az-Zubayr, pay it off on his behalf," and He paid it off.'
The debt that he owed was that a man would come to him and give
him some wealth as a trust, but ai-Zubayr would say: 'No; rather it is
a loan, for I fear that it may be lost.' When he was killed, he did not
leave behind any dinars or dirhams, but he had a piece of land. I sold
it and paid off his debts. The sons of az-Zubayr said: 'Share out our
inheritance.' I said: 'By Allah, I will not share it out among you until
I announce for four years during the hajj season: If anyone has a debt
owed by az-Zubayr, let him come to us so that we may pay it off."'
He made this announcement eveq year during the hajj season, then
when four years had passed, he shared it out among them. Az-Zubayr
had four wives, and each wife got 1,200,000. The total sum of his
wealth was 50,200,000.~ The repott of Bukhari is to be understood
as refemng to the total of his wealth at the time of his death, which is
different from the surplus that was left four years later.445 There was
a great deal of blessing in his estate,446 and Allah (@) blessed his
land after he died; his debt was paid off, and his wealth increased a
great deal. From this story we learn a number of lessons: