Fatwa ID: 09374
Answered by Mufti Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
As salamu alaykum
My dad owns a house in London, which is the family home. Right now, he, I, my sister, her husband and their four kids live here. Many years ago, my parents agreed to share the house between themselves and us four daughters, so we all have 1/6 share. My mum then gave her share to me as I’m the only one not married and she wanted me to be provided for. My mum passed away on Eid Al fitr this year. Now they want to sell the house to get their shares.
I’m autistic and was never taught how to be independent, so I will need time to learn this before I can move out and rent a flat. Behind my back, my dad has already arranged to take my share and buy a house in my sister’s name. I was never asked about this and I do not consent.
This was a gift, not inheritance, as the house was shared between all of us many years before my mum got sick. Also it was an informal, though written and signed, agreement, so I have no legal recourse. The deed is legally under my dad’s name.
Under shariah, is it allowed for them to do this? My understanding is that my parents gifted that share to me and I should have full say over what happens to my share of the money when the house is sold. Right now it seems they are planning to steal my money as they never even consulted with me, let alone got my consent. What can I do about this?
Jazakallah
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Can a Father Take His Daughter’s Property Without Consent
If your father attempts to take your share without your consent, it would be impermissible and any such sale would be Islamically invalid. In the Shariah, a sane, mature, adult woman has full authority over her own wealth and property. Once a gift (hiba) is given during the lifetime of the giver and the recipient takes possession of it, that gift becomes the sole property of the recipient. It is no longer the property of the giver or anyone else, and the recipient has full authority to manage, sell, or keep it as they choose, whether male or female.
In your case, if your mother lawfully gifted her share of the house to you while she was alive and you accepted it, then that share is now Islamically yours. You are the rightful owner of that share of the property and no one, including your father, has the right to take control of your share or make decisions on your behalf without your clear and voluntary consent. This means your wealth and assets belong to you, and you are free to manage them without pressure or coercion from others, even from family members.
Allah (ﷻ) says:
Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor deliberately bribe authorities in order to devour a portion of others’ property, knowing that it is a sin. [1]
To men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn. [2]
Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī states:
If a man sells a house or property against his son [i.e. son’s consent] when he [the son] is grown without a need or excuse, this is not permissible according to us. [3]
Therefore, it is impermissible for your father to sell your share of the property without your clear consent.
Validity of Gift
If your mother gave you her share as a hiba (gift) with her full consent and a transfer of ownership took place (even if it were verbally), then that share became your exclusive property and no one may take it, sell it, or redirect its proceeds without your permission. A valid gift (hiba) becomes binding once possession (qabdah) is completed, and the giver cannot later revoke it especially when it is given for kinship (such as a mother giving to her child). [4] A hiba requires consent and the recipient’s control over the property. [5] This means your ownership requires your acceptance for the property to transfer and after that, no one else may control or dispose of your property without your consent.
Once a gift is validly completed and possession takes place, others cannot interfere with the recipient’s share. Informal, shared, or undivided ownership does not invalidate a gift. Also, the fact that the deed is legally in your father’s name does not cancel the Islamic ruling that your mother’s hiba made you a partial owner. Force, pressure, or transactions done without your consent are impermissible and invalid. [6] If your share is included in a sale or arrangement without your consent, then the portion concerning your property is invalid under Shariah, and the entire deal involving your share is void. [6] No one may take control of your property or redirect it to someone else without your permission.
Advice and Possible Solutions
1. Communication: Speak respectfully and openly with your father. Kindly advise him and explain the Islamic ruling to him and explain that what he is doing is a violation of your rights. Emphasize that you are not refusing to help him but that you cannot give up your Islamic rights unjustly. Remind your father kindly that denying someone their rights can bring severe consequences in the Hereafter and that he should fear Allah and be just.
2. Mediation: Involve trusted family members, elders, or family friends who are close to your father and understand the situation and can mediate. They may be able to reason with your father in a calm and respectful way. If that doesn’t work, consult with a qualified local Imam or Islamic scholar who can explain Shar’ī ruling to your father in a way that may help soften his heart and bring clarity.
3. Agreement: If you both are willing, propose a mutually agreeable alternative to resolve this issue. Maybe your father can eventually buy off your share and pay you back later. Maybe he can put your name on the new house and allot you an equivalent share.
4. Ask Allah: Make Dua asking Allah (ﷻ) to guide you toward the right decision and to open your father’s heart to the truth. Ask Allah (ﷻ) to soften his heart, grant him understanding, and make this entire matter easy and resolved in the best way while maintaining family ties.
5. Legal Action: If all peaceful efforts fail, consult a lawyer who specializes in property or inheritance law in the UK. You may be entitled to assert your legal rights under civil law if your ownership is registered or can be proven. If your mother’s gift was documented in writing, find or request those records, as they can help establish your legal and religious claim. This may strain and break your ties with your father and is highly inadvisable.
6. Letting Go: If there is no peaceful way to resolve this issue, then it is best to do Ihsān (good) let go of this property for the sake of Allah (ﷻ) and for the peace and harmony of your family. This is completely voluntary, and Allah (ﷻ) will reward you immensely in the Hereafter for your sacrifice, and He will reward you abundantly for maintaining blood ties. Sometimes Allah (ﷻ) tests us in difficult ways and from people closest to us, and it is best to have patience and let go only for the sake of Allah (ﷻ). Insha Allah, Allah (ﷻ) will replace this property with something much better in this world and the next. Know that all sustenance and support comes from Allah (ﷻ) and He will sustain you with Halal Rizq with or without this property.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَى ٱلْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ فَرِيقًۭا مِّنْ أَمْوَٰلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188
[2]
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا
Surah An-Nisa 4:32
[3]
وَإِذَا بَاعَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى ابْنِهِ وَهُوَ كَبِيرٌ دَارًا أَوْ مَتَاعًا مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ وَلَا عُذْرَ لَمْ يَجُزْ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا
Al-Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī, vol. 30, pg. 139, Matba’ah As-Sa’ādah.
[4]
وَلَنَا) مَا رَوَيْنَا عَنْ رَسُول اللَّه ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «الْوَاهِبُ أَحَقُّ بِهِبَتِهِ مَا لَمْ يُثِبْ مِنْهَا» أَيْ لَمْ يُعَوَّض، وَصِلَةُ الرَّحِم عِوَض مَعْنًى؛ لِأَنَّ التَّوَاصُل سَبَب التَّنَاصُر وَالتَّعَاوُن فِي الدُّنْيَا فَيَكُون وَسِيلَة إلَى اسْتِيفَاء النُّصْرَة وَسَبَب الثَّوَاب فِي الدَّار الْآخِرَة فَكَانَ أَقْوَى مِنْ الْمَال، وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُول اللَّه ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَصِلُوا الْأَرْحَامَ فَإِنَّهُ أَبْقَى لَكُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَخَيْرٌ لَكُمْ فِي الدَّارِ الْآخِرَةِ» فَدَخَلَ تَحْت النَّصّ وَرُوِيَ عَنْ سَيِّدنَا عُمَرَ ﵁ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ وَهَبَ هِبَة لِصِلَةِ رَحِم أَوْ عَلَى وَجْه صَدَقَة فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَرْجِع فِيهَا وَهَذَا نَصٌّ فِي الْبَاب وَالْحَدِيث مَحْمُول عَلَى النَّهْيِ عَنْ شِرَاء الْمَوْهُوب لَكِنَّهُ سَمَّاهُ رُجُوعًا مَجَازًا لِتَصَوُّرِهِ بِصُورَةِ الرُّجُوع
Badāi’ Al-Sanāi’ Fī Tartīb Al-Sharāi’, vol. 5, pg. 132, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah.
[5]
وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّهُ إنَّمَا يَتِمُّ بِهِ مَا هُوَ مِنْ جِهَتِهِ وَهُوَ التَّمْلِيكُ، وَبِهَذَا الْقَدْرِ لَا يَدْخُلُ فِي مِلْكِ الْآخَرِ وَإِنْ كَانَ بِلَا بَدَلٍ حَتَّى يَظْهَرَ رِضَاهُ بِذَلِكَ بِلَفْظِهِ الْمُفِيدِ لَهُ فَهُوَ كَالْبَيْعِ فِي هَذَا الْقَدْرِ
Al-Fath Al-Qadeer, vol. 5, pg. 204, Maṭba’ah Mustafā Al-Bābī Al-Halabī.
[6]
وَلَوْ أَكْرَهَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَهَبَ لَهُ نِصْفَ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ مَقْسُومًا، وَيَدْفَعَهُ إلَى الْمَوْهُوبِ لَهُ، فَوَهَبَ لَهُ الدَّارَ كُلَّهَا، وَدَفَعَهَا إلَيْهِ جَازَتْ الْهِبَةُ فِي الْقِيَاسِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُقَسِّمَ، ثُمَّ يَهَبَ لَهُ، فَحِينَ، وَهَبَ الدَّارَ كُلَّهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقَسِّمَ، فَقَدْ خَالَفَ مَا أَمَرَهُ، وَكَذَلِكَ هَذَا الْقِيَاسُ فِي الْبَيْعِ لَوْ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَهُ نِصْفَ الدَّارِ مَقْسُومًا، فَبَاعَهُ الدَّارَ كُلَّهَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَمَرَهُ بِالْبَيْعِ بَعْدَ الْقِسْمَةِ، فَهُوَ فِي الْبَيْعِ قَبْلَ الْقِسْمَةِ لَا يَكُونُ مُطِيعًا لَهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَهُ بِهِ، وَلِأَنَّا لَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مُخَالِفًا لَمْ يَكُنْ بُدٌّ مِنْ الْقِسْمَةِ، وَفِي الْبَيْعِ قَبْلَ الْقِسْمَةِ لَا نَدْرِي، أَيَّ شَيْءٍ يَضْمَنُهُ؟؛ لِأَنَّ بَيْنَ نِصْفَيْ الدَّارِ مَقْسُومًا تَفَاوُتًا فِي الْمَالِيَّةِ، وَمَعَ الْجَهَالَةِ لَا يُمْكِنُ إيجَابُ الضَّمَانِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ اسْتَحْسَنَ فَقَالَ لَا أُجِيزُ هِبَتَهُ، وَلَا بَيْعَهُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِمَّا أَكْرَهَهُ عَلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مُكْرَهٌ عَلَى بَعْضِ ذَلِكَ، فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَبْطُلَ هِبَتُهُ، فَمَا كَانَ مُكْرَهًا عَلَيْهِ، وَذَلِكَ يُبْطِلُ هِبَتَهُ، فَكَذَلِكَ فِي الْبَيْعِ الصَّفْقَةُ وَاحِدَةٌ، فَإِذَا بَطَلَتْ فِي الْبَعْضِ بَطَلَتْ فِي الْكُلِّ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ أَكْرَهَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَهَبَ لَهُ، أَوْ يَبِيعَهُ بَيْتًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبُيُوتِ، فَبَاعَهُ الْبُيُوتَ كُلَّهَا، أَوْ، وَهَبَهَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ بَاطِلًا فِي الِاسْتِحْسَانِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ بَطَلَ فِي بَعْضِ الْبُيُوتِ لِلْإِكْرَاهِ، فَيَبْطُلُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ لِاتِّحَادِ الصَّفْقَةِ، وَجَهَالَةِ مَا يَنْفُذُ فِيهِ الْعَقْدُ، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ
Al-Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī, vol. 30, pg. 139, Matba’ah As-Sa’ādah.