Fatwa ID: 08895
Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah
Question:
A non Muslim friend suddenly past away, he has no inheritors, would it be permissible to donate his possessions to a Muslim school?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Answer:
You must first make clear how you have come to acquire his wealth and ensure you have the legal permission to distribute it as you will. A Muslim cannot inherit from a non-Muslim without a will, nor is he permitted to take his wealth without going through the proper procedure. Unless he bequeathed his possessions to you in his will or you have been legally tasked with deciding their distribution, they are not yours to donate [1].
If you belong to a country with fixed rules regarding the distribution of the deceased’s property, then his belongings should be delivered to the authorities in your locality who will dispense with the deceased’s belongings in accordance with the law.
If he left a will bequeathing his wealth to you, then this wealth is now yours and you may keep it or distribute it as you wish, including donating it to a Muslim school [2].
If he did not bequeath his wealth to you but you have the legal authority to distribute it as you wish, either because the law permits you to do so or you belong to the organisation charged with deciding the fate of the deceased’s property, then you will first need to consider any objections raised by his living relatives or the members of his religious community. If they demand the wealth be distributed according to his religion or object to it being distributed Islamically, then their demands will take priority.
If no such objections are raised, then his wealth should first be used to pay for his burial and to fulfill any outstanding debts which he owed. You must then investigate whether or not he truly has no inheritors. If no relatives or heirs can be found, then it should be distributed fully in accordance with his will. If he has written no will, then it should be given to the public treasury of the Islamic government. If one does not belong to a country with an Islamic government, then one can instead donate it to any worthy cause, in which case it would be permissible to donate his possessions to a Muslim school [3].
References:
[1] Sahih Muslim 1614:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ – وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى – قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ، حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَرِثُ الْمُسْلِمُ الْكَافِرَ وَلاَ يَرِثُ الْكَافِرُ الْمُسْلِمَ ”
Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 6, pg. 454, Darul Fikr:
وَاخْتِلَافُ الدَّيْنِ أَيْضًا يَمْنَعُ الْإِرْثَ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الِاخْتِلَافُ بَيْنَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْكُفْرِ
[2] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 652, Darul Fikr:
قَالَ فِي الْحَاوِي الْقُدْسِيِّ مَنْ لَا وَارِثَ لَهُ وَلَا دَيْنَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يُوصِيَ بِجَمِيعِ مَالِهِ بَعْدَ التَّصَدُّقِ بِيَدِهِ
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 652, Darul Fikr:
(وَصَحَّتْ بِالْكُلِّ عِنْدَ عَدَمِ وَرَثَتِهِ) وَلَوْ حُكْمًا كَمُسْتَأْمَنٍ لِعَدَمِ الْمُزَاحِمِ
[3] Fatawa Hindiyyah, vol. 6, pg. 447, Darul Fikr:
التَّرِكَةُ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِهَا حُقُوقٌ أَرْبَعَةٌ: جِهَازُ الْمَيِّتِ وَدَفْنُهُ وَالدَّيْنُ وَالْوَصِيَّةُ وَالْمِيرَاثُ. فَيُبْدَأُ أَوَّلًا بِجَهَازِهِ وَكَفَنِهِ وَمَا يُحْتَاجُ إلَيْهِ فِي دَفْنِهِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ وَيُسْتَثْنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ حَقٌّ تَعَلَّقَ بِعَيْنٍ كَالرَّهْنِ وَالْعَبْدِ الْجَانِي فَإِنَّ الْمُرْتَهِنَ وَوَلِيَّ الْجِنَايَةِ أَوْلَى بِهِ مِنْ تَجْهِيزِهِ، كَذَا فِي خِزَانَةِ الْمُفْتِينَ وَيُكَفَّنُ فِي مِثْلِ مَا كَانَ يَلْبَسُ مِنْ الثِّيَابِ الْحَلَالِ حَالَ حَيَاتِهِ عَلَى قَدْرِ التَّرِكَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَقْتِيرٍ وَلَا تَبْذِيرٍ، كَذَا فِي الِاخْتِيَارِ شَرْحِ الْمُخْتَارِ ثُمَّ بِالدَّيْنِ وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْكُلُّ دُيُونَ الصِّحَّةِ أَوْ دُيُونَ الْمَرَضِ، أَوْ كَانَ الْبَعْضُ دَيْنَ الصِّحَّةِ وَالْبَعْضُ دَيْنَ الْمَرَضِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ الْكُلُّ دُيُونَ الصِّحَّةِ أَوْ دُيُونَ الْمَرَضِ فَالْكُلُّ سَوَاءٌ لَا يُقَدَّمُ الْبَعْضُ عَلَى الْبَعْضِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْبَعْضُ دَيْنَ الصِّحَّةِ وَالْبَعْضُ دَيْنَ الْمَرَضِ يُقَدَّمُ دَيْنُ الصِّحَّةِ إذَا كَانَ دَيْنُ الْمَرَضِ ثَبَتَ بِإِقْرَارِ الْمَرِيضِ، وَأَمَّا مَا ثَبَتَ بِالْبَيِّنَةِ أَوْ بِالْمُعَايَنَةِ فَهُوَ وَدَيْنُ الصِّحَّةِ سَوَاءٌ، كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ ثُمَّ تُنَفَّذُ وَصَايَاهُ مِنْ ثُلُثِ مَا يَبْقَى بَعْدَ الْكَفَنِ وَالدَّيْنِ إلَّا أَنْ تُجِيزَ الْوَرَثَةُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ الثُّلُثِ ثُمَّ يُقَسَّمُ الْبَاقِي بَيْنَ الْوَرَثَةِ عَلَى سِهَامِ الْمِيرَاثِ، وَهَذَا إذَا كَانَتْ الْوَصِيَّةُ بِشَيْءٍ بِعَيْنِهِ، فَأَمَّا إذَا كَانَتْ الْوَصِيَّةُ شَائِعَةً نَحْوَ الْوَصِيَّةِ بِالثُّلُثِ أَوْ الرُّبُعِ لَا تُقَدَّمُ الْوَصِيَّةُ عَلَى الْمِيرَاثِ بَلْ يَكُونُ الْمُوصَى لَهُ شَرِيكَ الْوَرَثَةِ فِي هَذِهِ الصُّورَةِ يَزْدَادُ بِزِيَادَةِ تَرِكَةِ الْمَيِّتِ وَيَنْتَقِصُ حَقُّهُ بِنُقْصَانِ تَرِكَةِ الْمَيِّتِ، كَذَا فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 766, Darul Fikr:
(ثُمَّ) يُوضَعُ (فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ) لَا إرْثًا بَلْ فَيْئًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 766, Darul Fikr:
(قَوْلُهُ ثُمَّ يُوضَعُ) أَيْ إنْ لَمْ يُوجَدْ مُوصًى لَهُ بِالزَّائِدِ يُوضَعُ كُلُّ التَّرِكَةِ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ أَوْ الْبَاقِي عَنْ الزَّائِدِ إنْ وَجَدَ مُوصًى لَهُ بِمَا دُونَ الْكُلِّ
And only Allah s.w.t knows best.
Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham