Fatwa ID: 06769

Answered by: Maulana Ousman Haye

Question:

Are debts owed to the heirs of the deceased in the same category as regular debts, i.e. the heirs will be paid their debts 1st before the actual shares in the estate?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

According to the Islamic law of inheritance, the distribution of the estate will only commence after the following three things have been settled from the estate of the deceased:

1) Funeral expenses (not including any extravagances)

2) Debts (if any) including the legal costs

3) Bequests (if any) made to non-heirs. This is not to exceed one-third of the estate after the above-mentioned two things have been settled.

Once the above-mentioned have been taken care of, the remainder will be distributed amongst the rightful heir according to the Islamic laws of inheritance.

Therefore, the debt owed to the heir will be paid off first before the distribution amongst the heirs.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Ousman Haye

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

الحقوقة المتعلقة بترك الميت
قال علماؤنا: تتعلق بترك الميت حقوق أربعة مرتبة: ألاول: يبدأ بتكفينه وتجهيزه من غير تبذير ولا تقتير، ثم تقضى
ديونه من جميع ما بقى من ماله، ثم تنفذ وصاياه من ثلث ما بقى بعد الدين، ثم يقسم الباقي بين ورثته بالكتاب والسنة
وإجماع الأمة.
(السراجي في الميراث، ، ص8-6، مكتبة البشرى)

يُوصِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَوْلَـٰدِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَآءً فَوْقَ ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَٰحِدَةً فَلَهَا ٱلنِّصْفُ
وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُۥٓ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلثُّلُثُ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُۥٓ إِخْوَةٌ
فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلسُّدُسُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِى بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًا فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ
عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
(النساء 11)