Question
Asslamulaikum if a father has seven shops and five flats and says that after my death my wife meaning the mother will take rentals is it permissible?
Or the children also get a share?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The laws of inheritance and succession are by divine order. We have no choice in the matter. We have to execute the laws of inheritance and succession exactly as Almighty Allah wants it to be executed.
When a person passes away, whatever he/she leaves behind, each and every item forms part of the estate.
Furthermore, a bequest can be made only for a non-heir. A bequest cannot be made for an heir.
The wife of the deceased is an heir; hence it is not permissible to bequest for the wife. [1]
This is understood from the following Hadeeth:
عَنْ شُرَحْبِيلَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أُمَامَةَ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَعْطَى كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ فَلاَ وَصِيَّةَ لِوَارِثٍ ”
Translation: Abu Hurayrah narrates: I heard Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying:
Allah has appointed for everyone who has a right what is due to him, and no bequest must be made to an heir.
(Sunan Abu-Dawood)
Accordingly, if the father did not bestow the flats to his wife in his lifetime, the flats will form part of the estate and all the heirs will be entitled to their respective shares in the flats. The man’s wife will not be the sole owner of the flats.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Muhammad I.V Patel
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (7/ 337)
(ومنها) أن لا يكون وارث الموصي وقت موت الموصي، فإن كان لا تصح الوصية لما روي عن أبي قلابة – رضي الله عنه – عن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أنه قال «إن الله تبارك وتعالى أعطى كل ذي حق حقه، فلا وصية لوارث» وفي هذا حكاية، وهي ما حكي أن سليمان بن الأعمش – رحمه الله تعالى – كان مريضا، فعاده أبو حنيفة – رضي الله عنه – فوجده يوصي لابنيه، فقال أبو حنيفة: – رضي الله عنه – إن هذا لا يجوز، فقال: ولم يا أبا حنيفة فقال: لأنك رويت لنا أن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قال: «لا وصية لوارث» فقال سليمان – رحمه الله -: يا معشر الفقهاء أنتم الأطباء ونحن الصيادلة
فقد نفى الشارع – عليه الصلاة والسلام – أن يكون لوارث وصية نصا