Fatwa ID: 08659
Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
My brother died a few years back, leaving an estate behind. The situation is that my brother died before my mother, due to which my brother’s estate’s (one-sixth share) rests with my mother as per Islamic Law. Now my late brother’s wife is reluctant to give us (i.e brothers and sisters) our due right from the estate i.e one-sixth share.
We have properties whose legal title is in the name of brothers and sisters, though they actually belong to my late brother as he purchased them and not gifted us. These properties are equivalent to the amount of one-sixth share of estate. So can we brothers and sisters hold due Islamic rights of possession over these properties as my late brother’s wife is not giving us our right from the estate and we do not want a legal battle ?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The distribution of inheritance occurs after funeral expenses, debts and possible bequests to non-heirs (up to a third) has been paid. Thereafter, all assets and property are to be distributed together as soon as possible according to the Islamic rules of inheritance.[1]
After the ayahs regarding the distribution of inheritance, Allah (swt) warns us in the Qur’an of the consequences of violating these compulsory laws of inheritance:
“These are the limits [set by] Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits – He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.” Surah An-Nisa’ (4:13-4) [2]
It is unfortunate that both parties have withheld distributing what was in their trust of the inheritance. Whilst what is happening with the inheritance in your sister-in-law’s possession is impermissible, it would also be impermissible for you to distribute your late brother’s other properties against the Shari’ah. This is because until the inheritance has been distributed, assets are considered the joint property of all the heirs. No individual heir has a right to deal with these assets without the unanimous permission of all the other heirs.[3]
It would also be impermissible for an heir to take an asset as inheritance without the unanimous consent of all the inheritors. If an heir wishes to take an asset in place of their share, such as a house, the worth of the asset needs to be within their share amount and all inheritors need to consent before such a distribution can take place. This distribution should be notarised and documented to prevent any dispute in the future.[4]
It would also not be accurate for you to personally determine what the shares are equivalent to as these properties have changed in worth. When inheritance is distributed, the shares are according to the time of sale/distribution and not the worth at the time of the deceased’s passing. As these properties have clearly changed in worth before distribution since your brother’s passing, so too would the worth of each share of the inheritors.
I would advise you to inform your late brother’s wife that you will be distributing this section of the inheritance correctly in accordance with the Shari’ah, and would like to distribute it all together to avoid any future disputes. Let her know that you have no ill will towards her and that you only wish to follow what Allah (swt) has ordained. Perhaps letting her know that you do not plan to deprive her of her share of these properties will convince her to distribute your late mother’s share correctly in turn.
As there are several aspects which require clarification and you do not wish to go to court, I suggest you seek the assistance of a Islamic counsellor or mediator who can help you all reach an agreeable conclusion regarding the inheritance.
References:
[1]
التَّرِكَةُ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِهَا حُقُوقٌ أَرْبَعَةٌ: جِهَازُ الْمَيِّتِ وَدَفْنُهُ وَالدَّيْنُ وَالْوَصِيَّةُ وَالْمِيرَاثُ
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.6, pg.447, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي يَجْرِي فِيهِ الْإِرْثُ]
وَأَمَّا بَيَانُ الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي يَجْرِي فِيهِ الْإِرْثُ فَنَقُولُ هَذَا فَصْلٌ اخْتَلَفَ الْمَشَايِخُ فِيهِ قَالَ مَشَايِخُ الْعِرَاقِ الْإِرْثُ يَثْبُتُ فِي آخِرِ جُزْءٍ مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ حَيَاةِ الْمُوَرِّثِ وَقَالَ مَشَايِخُ بَلْخٍ الْإِرْثُ يَثْبُتُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِ الْمُوَرِّثِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.8, pg.557, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
مُنَاسبَتُهُ لِلْوَصِيَّةِ أَنَّهَا أُخْتُ الْمِيرَاثِ، وَلِوقُوعِهَا فِي مَرَضِ الْمَوْتِ، وَقِسْمَةُ الْمِيرَاثِ بَعْدَهُ وَلِذَا أُخِّرَ عَنْهَا، ثُم الْفَرَائِضُ جَمْعُ فَرِيضَةٍ: وَهِيَ مَا يُفْتَرَضُ عَلَى الْمُكَلَّفِ… الْمَوَارِيثِ فَرَائِضُ، لِأَنَّهَا مُقَدَّرةٌ لِأَصْحَابِهَا ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلْعِلْمِ بِمَسَائِلِ الْمِيرَاثِ عِلْمُ الْفَرَائِضِ وَلِلْعَالِمِ بِهِ فَرْضِيٌّ…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.6, pg.757, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
﴿ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ ﴾
Qur’an (4:13-4)
[3]
لَا يَجُوزُ التَّصَرُّفُ فِي مَالِ غَيْرِهِ بِلَا إذْنِهِ وَلَا وِلَايَتِهِ إلَّا فِي مَسَائِلِ مَذْكُورَةٍ فِي الْأَشْبَاهِ.
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.6, pg.200, Dār Al-Fiqr)
وَفِي الْعِنَايَةِ قَيَّدَ بِالْغَيْبَةِ لِأَنَّهُمْ إذَا كَانُوا حُضُورًا لَيْسَ لِلْوَصِيِّ التَّصَرُّفُ فِي التَّرِكَةِ أَصْلًا إلَّا إذَا كَانَ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ دَيْنٌ أَوْ أَوْصَى بِوَصِيَّةٍ وَلَمْ تَقْضِ الْوَرَثَةُ الدُّيُونَ وَلَمْ يُنْفِذُوا الْوَصِيَّةَ مِنْ مَالِهِمْ
فَإِنَّهُ يَبِيعُ التَّرِكَةَ كُلَّهَا إنْ كَانَ الدَّيْنُ مُحِيطًا، وَبِمِقْدَارِ الدَّيْنِ إنْ لَمْ يُحِطْ، وَلَهُ بَيْعُ مَا زَادَ عَلَى الدَّيْنِ أَيْضًا عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ خِلَافًا لَهُمَا…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.6, pg.710, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[4]
وَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الَّذِي حَضَرَ يَدَّعِي جَمِيعَ الدَّارِ لِنَفْسِهِ بِسَبَبِ قِسْمَةٍ جَرَتْ بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْوَرَثَةِ بِأَنْ تَرَكَ الْمُتَوَفَّى سِوَى هَذِهِ الدَّارَ مِنْ الْعَقَارِ وَالْعُرُوضِ وَالْأَرَاضِي وَالنُّقُودِ وَجَرَتْ الْقِسْمَةُ بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْوَرَثَةِ فِي تَرِكَةِ الْمَيِّتِ بِالتَّرَاضِي فَوَقَعَتْ هَذِهِ الدَّارُ فِي نَصِيبِ هَذَا الِابْنِ،
يَكْتُبُ فِي الْمَحْضَرِ؛ وَخَلَفَ مِنْ التَّرِكَةِ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ الْمَحْدُودَةَ وَتَرَكَ مَعَ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ الْمَحْدُودَةَ مِنْ الْعَقَارِ كَذَا وَمِنْ الْعُرُوضِ كَذَا وَمِنْ النَّقْدِ كَذَا وَجَرَتْ الْقِسْمَةُ صَحِيحَةٌ بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْوَرَثَةِ بِالتَّرَاضِي فَوَقَعَتْ هَذِهِ الدَّارُ فِي نَصِيبِ هَذَا الْمُدَّعِي
الَّذِي حَضَرَ وَقَبَضَ هَذَا الَّذِي حَضَرَ جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ بِحُكْمِ هَذِهِ الْقِسْمَةِ وَقَبَضَ بَاقِي الْوَرَثَةُ أَنْصِبَاءَهُمْ وَحِصَصَهُمْ، وَالْيَوْمَ جَمِيعُ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ مِلْكُ هَذَا الَّذِي حَضَرَ بِالسَّبَبِ الَّذِي ذُكِرَ وَأَنَّهَا فِي يَدِ هَذَا الَّذِي أَحْضَرَهُ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَأَنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ جَمِيعَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ.
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.6, pg.195, Dār Al-Fiqr)
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
