Mishkat al-Masabih 12 Inheritance and Wills كتاب الفرائض والوصايا 15

وَعَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ قَالَ: مَاتَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ خُزَاعَةَ فَأُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمِيرَاثِهِ فَقَالَ: «الْتَمِسُوا لَهُ وَارِثًا أَوْ ذَا رَحِمٍ» فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُ وَارِثًا وَلَا ذَا رَحِمٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أعْطوا الْكُبْرَ مِنْ خُزَاعَةَ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لَهُ: قَالَ: «انْظُرُوا أَكْبَرَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ خُزَاعَة»

Buraida said that a man of Khuza’a died and his estate was brought to the Prophet who gave instructions to look for an heir of his or some relative, but they found neither, so God’s Messenger said, “Give it to the leading man* of Khuza’a’ ( al-kubr . This may mean the greatest in rank or in age, or, more probably, the nearest in kin to the man’s oldest ancestor, the one with fewest intermediate links. Abu Dawud transmitted it. In a version by him he said, “Look for the greatest ( akbar . This might mean greatest or oldest, but it is most probably used here in the same sense as al-kubr ) man of Khuza’a.’’