What is the difference between inheritance, inheritors, and heirs? Are scholars inheritance”, “inheritors”, or “heirs” of the Prophet (ﷺ)?

When a person dies, whatever he leaves behind, his heirs inherit it. The things he leaves behind, are his inheritance or his legacy. The people who get these things are the heirs or the inheritors.

The scholars are indeed inheritors or heirs of the Prophet (ﷺ) as he stated:

“Whoever follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allaah will make him tread a path to paradise. The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure for what he does.”[1]

As for the scholar, for him seek forgiveness those in the heavens and those on earth - even the fish in the water! The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the brightness of the full moon over the stars. The scholars are the heirs of the prophets, and the prophets did not bequeath money. Rather, their legacy was knowledge, so whoever acquires it has in fact acquired a substantial fortune.”[2]

And Allah knows best.

References:

[1] Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi, Book 13, Hadith 1388

[2] Reported by Aboo Daawood (3641) and at-Tirmidhee (2682), and graded authentic by az-Zayla‘ee, Ibn Hajar, al-Albaanee and others.