Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah
I would like to understand the Islamic method and rulings about inheritance and how it should be divided among the heirs while one is preparing their will. I have a wife and 2 sons. One of my sons has a developmental disability that will be a lifelong issue i.e. autism. Of my parents only my mother is still alive.
Also, can you please advise how my wife’s inheritance will be divided according to the will? Both her parents are alive and has no children other than the ones mentioned above. She does not earn any income.
JazakAllahu Khaira
Walaikumassalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu
الجواب و باللہ التوفیق
There has been another recent answer regarding preparing one’s will, it seems appropriate to mention its summary in response to your question.
If someone wants to distribute their estate amongst their children during their life span, then the commandment is to ensure equality in that division, regardless if it’s a male or female child. There is gunjaish (provision for permissibility) to give one more than the other, due to disability, poverty or the child’s deeni prowess (greater religious stature). On the other hand, after a person is deceased, the division of their estate is done according to the Shar‘ai rules of distributing inheritance. This division is performed based on the living inheritors at the time of the person’s death and can have several different rulings based on the specific situation, therefore we recommend that it will be better to ask a specific question as per need and specification situation in the future.
Islam encourages preparing one’s will, which can have several ways and several different rulings based on the individual’s situation. The person who is preparing his/her will should consider the following details and document the will either verbally or in writing (in a notebook etc.).
Wajib (mandatory): pertains to the rights of Allah (that we have to fulfill during our lives) e.g. fardh salah or salah which one promised to perform as part of a nazr, fasts, zakat, hajj, qurbani (udhaiya), kaffarah (atonements) etc. or the rights of other human beings (that we have to fulfill during our lives) e.g. loans (owed), amanat (things one is keepsaking for others) and any other business (or social) dealings due to which one has rights that he or she needs to fulfill. All these details should be mentioned in the will.
Mubah (permissible actions): pertains to bequeathing something for a welloff individual as part of the will.
Makruh (disliked): pertains to bequeathing something for an individual about whom one has strong belief that he (or she) will utilize the received inheritance in acts of fisq and fujoor (open or hidden sins or transgressions) or will spend it in impermissible acts. Including such an individual in one’s will is considered makruh.
Mustahab (commendable): pertains to specifying something (from one third of the total estate) to be used as a means of one’s source of maghfirah and a surplus towards one’s akhirah, such as taking part in an act of sadaqah for thawab-e-jariyah (whose reward continues even after one’s death), leaving something to help ahl-e-ilm and ahl-e-salah, giving something to one’s relatives to show association with them, or helping a disabled or person in need.
Will (for the specified actions) will be applied from one third of one’s estate, however paying off the loans or giving back amanat will be done from the total estate. Even if someone tries to bequeath in their will from more than one third of their estate, it will not be considered valid and will not be applicable.
For more information on this topic, it will be beneficial to read “Ehkam-e-Mayyat” by Hazrat Dr. Abdul Haee Arifi Rehmatullah Aleh.
One should not document will for their heirs as their rights have already been established and documented in Islamic Shari’ah and it is prohibited to write will for them. Therefore, it is incorrect for you to bequeath for your mother, father and siblings as part of your will. One should not write a clause in their will which blocks any of the rightful heirs from getting their rights.
عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ خَارِجَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- خَطَبَ عَلَى نَاقَتِهِ وَأَنَا تَحْتَ جِرَانِهَا وَهِىَ تَقْصَعُ بِجَرَّتِهَا وَإِنَّ لُعَابَهَا يَسِيلُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَىَّ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ « إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعْطَى كُلَّ ذِى حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ وَلاَ وَصِيَّةَ لِوَارِثٍ(سنن ترمذی:کتاب الوصایا،باب ماجاء لا وصیۃ لوارث ذی:۲۲۷۶)
عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِى وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ مَرِضْتُ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ مَرَضًا أَشْفَيْتُ مِنْهُ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ فَأَتَانِى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَعُودُنِى فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِى مَالاً كَثِيرًا وَلَيْسَ يَرِثُنِى إِلاَّ ابْنَتِى أَفَأُوصِى بِمَالِى كُلِّهِ قَالَ « لاَ ».قُلْتُ فَثُلُثَىْ مَالِى قَالَ « لاَ ». قُلْتُ فَالشَّطْرُ قَالَ « لاَ ». قُلْتُ فَالثُّلُثُ قَالَ « الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَدَعْ وَرَثَتَكَ أَغْنِيَاءَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَدَعَهُمْ عَالَةً يَتَكَفَّفُونَ النَّاسَ(سنن ترمذی:کتاب الوصایا،باب ماجاء فی الوصیۃ بالثلث،۲۲۶۲)
عَنْ أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ يَحْضُرُهُمَا الْمَوْتُ فَيُضَارَّانِ فِى الْوَصِيَّةِ فَتَجِبُ لَهُمَا النَّارُ(سنن ترمذی:کتاب الوصایا،باب ماجاء فی الوصیۃ بالثلث،۲۲۶۳)
فيضاران في الوصية من المضارة أي يوصلان الضرر إلى الوارث بسبب الوصية للأجنبي بأكثر من الثلث أو بأن يهب جميع ماله لواحد من الورثة كيلا يرث وارث آخر من ماله شيئا فهذا مكروه وفرار عن حكم الله تعالى ذكره ابن الملك وفيه أنه لا يحصل بهما ضرر لأحد اللهم إلا أن يقال معناه فيقصدان الضرر وقال بعضهم كأن يوصي لغير أهل الوصية أو يوصي بعدم إمضاء ما أوصى به حقا بأن ندم من وصيته أو ينقض بعض الوصية فتجب لهما النار(مرقاۃ المفاتیح:باب الوصایا:۱۰/۲۹)
( قَوْلُهُ وَهِيَ عَلَى مَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى ) عِبَارَتُهُ وَالْوَصِيَّةُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَقْسَامٍ وَاجِبَةٌ كَالْوَصِيَّةِ بِرَدِّ الْوَدَائِعِ وَالدُّيُونِ الْمَجْهُولَةِ ، وَمُسْتَحَبَّةٌ كَالْوَصِيَّةِ بِالْكَفَّارَاتِ وَفِدْيَةِ الصَّلَاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ وَنَحْوِهَا وَمُبَاحَةٌ كَالْوَصِيَّةِ لِلْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْ الْأَجَانِبِ وَالْأَقَارِبِ ، وَمَكْرُوهَةٌ كَالْوَصِيَّةِ لِأَهْلِ الْفُسُوقِ وَالْمَعَاصِي ا هـ وَفِيهِ تَأَمُّلٌ لِمَا قَالَهُ فِي الْبَدَائِعِ الْوَصِيَّةُ بِمَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْفَرَائِضِ وَالْوَاجِبَاتِ كَالْحَجِّ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَالْكَفَّارَاتِ وَاجِبَةٌ ا هـ شُرُنْبُلَالِيَّةٌ .وَمَشَى الزَّيْلَعِيُّ عَلَى مَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ ، وَفِي الْمَوَاهِبِ تَجِبُ عَلَى مَدْيُونٍ بِمَا عَلَيْهِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى أَوْ لِلْعِبَادِ ، وَهَذَا مَا مَشَى عَلَيْهِ الْمُصَنِّفُ خِلَافًا لِمَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى مِنْ التَّفْرِقَةِ بَيْنَ حُقُوقِهِ تَعَالَى ، وَحُقُوقِ الْعِبَادِ وَمَا مَرَّ مِنْ سُقُوطِ مَا وَجَبَ لِحَقِّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْمَوْتِ لَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْوُجُوبِ لِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ سُقُوطُ أَدَائِهَا ، وَإِلَّا فَهِيَ فِي ذِمَّتِهِ فَقَوْلُ الشَّارِحِ عَلَى مَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى : أَيْ مِنْ حَيْثُ التَّقْسِيمُ إلَى الْأَرْبَعَةِ تَأَمَّلْ۔ ( قَوْلُهُ وَمُبَاحَةٌ لِغَنِيٍّ ) لَعَلَّ الْمُرَادَ إذَا لَمْ يَقْصِدْ الْقُرْبَةَ أَمَّا لَوْ أَوْصَى لَهُ لِكَوْنِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَوْ الصَّلَاحِ إعَانَةً لَهُ أَوْ لِكَوْنِهِ رَحِمًا كَاشِحًا أَوْ ذَا عِيَالٍ فَيَنْبَغِي نَدْبُهَا تَأَمَّلْ ( قَوْلُهُ وَمَكْرُوهَةٌ لِأَهْلِ فُسُوقٍ ) يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ مَا فِي صَحِيحِ الْبُخَارِيِّ لَعَلَّ الْغَنِيَّ يَعْتَبِرُ فَيَتَصَدَّقَ وَالسَّارِقَ يَسْتَغْنِي بِهَا عَنْ السَّرِقَةِ وَالزَّانِيَةَ عَنْ الزِّنَا وَكَانَ مُرَادُهُ مَا إذَا غَلَبَ عَلَى ظَنِّهِ أَنَّهُ يَصْرِفُهَا لِلْفُسُوقِ وَالْفُجُو (رد المحتار:کتاب الوصایا:۲۸/۴۴۴)
فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب