As for Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Ja’far (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), he sold his share of Ghaabah to Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) for six hundred thousand (thus recouping the four hundred thousand that was owed to him and making a further two hundred thousand profit).

When Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had completed settling the debt, the heirs of Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said to him, “Distribute our inheritance between us.” However, he replied saying, “By Allah! I will not distribute it between you until I do not first make the following announcement during the season of Haj for four years, ‘Behold! Whoever is owed a debt by Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) should come to us, we will fulfill it.” He thus began to make this announcement every year during the occasion of Haj. When the four years had elapsed, he distributed the estate between the heirs.

Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had four wives (who were inheriting from him). After one third of the estate was separated (for the wasiyyat), each wife received 1.2 million as her individual share. The entire estate of Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) (before settling the debts and separating the one third of the wasiyyat, and prior to the four years of announcing for creditors to come forward) was worth 50.2 million.

Note:

1. The four wives combined share equaled one eighth of the entire estate. Since each wife received 1.2 million, their combined share equaled 4.8 million. Hence, 4.8 million was one eighth of the estate. According to this figure, the estate was worth 38.4 million. However, this figure represents just two thirds of the estate as one third of the estate was given as wasiyyat before distributing the inheritance among the heirs. Thus, the total estate reached 57.6 million. Bearing in mind that this was the total before the debt of 2.2 million was paid, we arrive at the conclusion that the gross total of the estate was 59.8 million dirhams.

Hence, in the period of four years during which Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) announced for creditors to claim the money owed to them, the estate continued to grow (due to the barakah in this wealth e.g. perhaps through rental) until it finally increased from 50.2 million to 59.8 million dirhams (which is currently worth one billion five hundred and seventy four million six hundred and twenty two thousand five hundred and four rand).

2. The reason for Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) announcing for creditors to claim any haq owed to them for four years was that in that era, it would take a person departing from Makkah Mukarramah two years to reach the furthest land and two years to return. Hence, if his announcement took two years to reach a creditor who lived in a distant land, the creditor would have the sufficient period of two years to come to Makkah Mukarramah or send a message of his claim with someone.

(Saheeh Bukhaari #3129, Kashful Baari pg. 279)