Arabic Root:

From the root waw-ra-tha (‫)و ر ث‬, which has the following classical Arabic
connotations: to inherit, to be an heir, survivor, to be the owner or sustainer
after someone.
What does it means ٰ‫َوتَ َٰعَلَ َٰى‬
for Allah‫س ْب َٰ َحنَهُٰۥ‬
ُ to inherit?
We begin by defining what it means to receive an inheritance. It usually refers
to the passing down of money, property, or some material thing from one
person to another upon their passing. This is typically a transfer from a parent
or spouse down the family tree to preserve whatever wealth they had. Now,
with respect to Allah ‫ سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰعَلَ َٰى‬what does it mean to say he is Al-Warith, The
Inheritor? As we discussed in the previous name Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) and
Al-Akhir (The Last), He is the one who will exist after all possessors disappear.
He is also the originator (Al-Badi) and the creator (Al-Khaliq), so naturally, all
things belong to Him. So when all is said and done, when creation vanishes, all
things will return to their rightful owner.
َ‫َحْن ْٱل َٰ َو ِرثُون‬ ُ ‫َو ِإنَّا لَن‬
ُ ‫َحْن نُحْ ِىۦ َونُ ِميتُ َون‬
Wa innnaa la nahnu nuhyee wa numeetu wa nahnul waarisoon
English Translation:

"And indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor." — (Qur'an
15:23)

َ‫نت خ َۡي ُر ۡٱل َٰ َو ِر ِثين‬ ِ ‫َوزَ َك ِريَّا ِإ ۡذ نَا َد َٰى َر َّبهُۥ َر‬
َ َ ‫ب َل تَذَ ۡر ِني فَ ۡردٗ ا َوأ‬
Wa Zakariyyaaa iz naadaa Rabbahoo Rabbi laa tazarnee fardanw wa Anta khairul waariseen
English Translation:

"And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, 'My Lord, do not leave me alone [with
no heir], while you are the best of inheritors.'" — (Qur'an 21:89)
Understanding that Allah ‫ سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰعَلَ َٰى‬is Al-Warith is also a testament to the
person's belief in tawhid (oneness). We recognize Allah ‫ سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰعَلَ َٰى‬works alone,
and so the claim to everything is for Him solely. He has no partners which whom
the inheritance must be shared with.

ِ َّ ‫علَى‬
َ ‫ٱّلل ِم ْن ُه ْم‬
‫ش ْىء‬ َ ‫يَ ْو َم هُم بَ َٰـ ِر ُزونَ ۖ َل يَ ْخفَ َٰى‬
ۖ ‫ار‬ ِ ‫ّلل ْٱل َٰ َو ِح ِد ْٱلقَ َّه‬
ِ َّ ِ ۖ ‫ِل َم ِن ْٱل ُم ْل ُك ْٱل َي ْو َم‬
 Yawma hum baarizoona laa yakhfaa alal laahi minhum shai; limanil mulkul Yawma lillaahil
Waahidil Qahaar

English Translation:

"The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom
belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing." — (Qur'an 40:16)
The 80-year-old version of you:
The believer benefits from knowing that Allah ‫ سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰعَلَ َٰى‬is Al-Warith in many
ways. There is a story of a very wealthy man who died. At his funeral, a
colleague asked, "I wonder how much he left?" to which someone replied, "I
believe he left it all."
The lesson is that we need to be wiser in our pursuits and how we spend our
time. One of the foundational teachings of Islam is that all things return to Allah
‫س ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰ َعلَ َٰى‬
ُ . Nothing was ever ours to begin with. Imagine speaking with your
80-year-old self. What would the older you say to the you of today? Do you think
he/she would be happy with how you're spending time? Perhaps you're too
hard on yourself or sacrificed too much in the name of worldly pursuits. It's a
useful way to think about decision-making; what would your eighty-year-old
self think about the thing that's troubling the you of today?

As we mentioned previously, wanting financial security for your family's well-

being is an honorable mission. When the only pursuit is money, that's a
problem. Seeking enjoyment is fine. Allah ‫ سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰ َع َل َٰى‬does not say we are
forbidden from seeking pleasure from things which He's allowed. The problems
arise when you only live for pleasure and forget your duty towards Allah ‫سُ ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ‬
‫وتَ َٰ َعلَ َٰى‬.َ
Reflection:
‫شت َ َها‬ ْ ‫َو َك ْم أ َ ْهلَ ْكنَا ِمن قَ ْريَة بَ ِط َر‬
َ ‫ت َم ِعي‬
ۖ َ‫َحْن ْٱل َٰ َو ِرثِين‬
ُ ‫يل ۖ َو ُكنَّا ن‬ َ ‫فَتِ ْل َك َم‬
ً ‫س َٰـ ِكنُ ُه ْملَ ْم ت ُ ْس َكن ِمن َب ْع ِد ِه ْم ِإ َّل قَ ِل‬
Wa kam ahlaknaa min qaryatim batirat ma'eeshatahaa fatilka masaakinuhum lam tuskam
mim ba'dihim illaa qaleelaa; wa kunnaa Nahnul waariseen
English Translation:

"And how many a city have We destroyed that was insolent in its [way of] living, and those
are their dwellings which have not been inhabited after them except briefly. And it is We who
were the inheritors." — (Qur'an 28:58)
This ayah reminds us that all things will inevitably perish, and the cities will be
destroyed. It's not hard to imagine the ambition that drove the people who lived
in the city while it was thriving. They played the game to hoard, not realizing,
in the end, it belongs to Allah ‫س ْب َٰ َحنَهُۥ َوتَ َٰ َعلَ َٰى‬
ُ .

Islam encourages us not to focus on the material we leave behind but on the
impact of our legacy. What good will your soul reap even long after you're gone?
This is the concept behind Sadaqah jariyah (the continuing/perpetual charity).
In this way, we can be the inheritors of whatever/whoever our unique touch
reaches. Sahl bin Mu'adh bin Anas narrated from his father that: The Prophet
said: "Whoever teaches some knowledge will have the reward of the one who
acts upon it, without that detracting from his reward in the slightest." Being a [1]

teacher or educator allows us to reap the same reward as the person who learns
from it. Who can be a teacher? Just about everybody. This does not mean
teaching as a profession. You can share your experience and invite others in to
learn from your wisdom or mistakes. Sometimes we try to conceal our past
from kids to "protect them," not realizing we're just protecting the image of
ourselves. They can benefit from the knowledge of the good and the bad we've
realized. It's an opportunity for redemption as we also receive the reward if it
helps them do good and avoid evil.