All of my wealth is only for one of you

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It is recorded in reliable sources from Imam as-Sadiq that there was a wise man in The Israelites who was very wealthy. He had a very good-natured (like himself) son from a chaste woman. When the time of his death drew near he told his sons: All of my wealth is only for one of you. After his death his eldest son said that he was the one of his father’s choice. The middle one said it was him and the youngest said that their father had willed only in his favor. So all three went to a Qadi for a decision. He said, I do not know your affair. Go to the three brothers who are sons of Ghanaam. They went to one of the sons who was aged and narrated their case to him. He told them to go to his elder brother whom they found to be a middle-aged man. When they told him their case he asked them to go his eldest brother whom the found quite young.

Surprisingly they first asked him to explain ass to how he was looking more youthful than his two younger brothers and how his middle brother appeared more youthful than the youngest brother and how the youngest brother appeared more aged than both of them? He explained that: The one whom you saw first is younger than both of us but his wife is bad-natured and is always bothering him. Yet he bears all with patience so that something more unbearable might not occur and that has made him old. My second brother who looks like a middle-aged man has a wife who sometimes makes him happy and sometimes gloomy and sorrowful. So he looks between the young and old age. But I have a wife who always keeps me happy and who until today has never bothered me and therefore I am still youthful. Then after listening to their story, said that for deciding your case you should first go and dig out the bones of your father from his grave and burn them down in the fire. Thereafter you may return to me to hear my judgment.

So the two sons who were born of an unchaste woman went to dig their father’s grave but the youngest boy who was from the pious lady said holding his sword: I can forgo my share of inheritance but will never allow my father’s grave to be dug up. Finally all the three brothers went to that man and told him what had happened. He said, It is enough. Bring all of your property here. It was brought and the arbitrator gave all of it to the youngest brother and told the other two that: Had you been real sons of the deceased you too would have become restless like the youngest and you would have never agreed to burn the bones of your dead father.

Reference: Hayat Al-Qulub, Vol. 1, Stories of the Prophets