Fatwa ID: 08964
Answered by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Question:
If a woman passes away and has no relatives. She only has her brother’s children (2 girls 2 boys) and sister’s children (2 brothers 1 sister) left, will it only be the sons of the brother that are entitled, the daughters too, or all of the children?
Essentially, the marhoomah has a brother and a sister who have both passed away. Said brother has 2 sons and 2 daughters, and said sister has 2 sons and 1 daughter.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
According to the laws of inheritance, male-line agnates take precedence over the uterine relatives [1]. Hence, in the case described, the two sons of the deceased brother inherit as male-line agnates and take the entire estate. The two daughters of the deceased brother do not inherit in the presence of their brothers in this scenario. Likewise, the two sons and one daughter of the deceased sister do not inherit, because descendants of a sister fall under uterine relatives whom are excluded by the presence of the brother’s sons, who are stronger heirs [2].
Therefore, based on the information provided and assuming there are no other surviving heirs, the estate would be divided between the two sons of the deceased brother only, each receiving one-half of the estate. The daughters of the brother and all the children of the sister would be excluded from inheritance in this case.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَكَذَلِكَ إنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَلَدَ عَصَبَةٍ أَوْ وَلَدَ صَاحِبِ فَرْضٍ فَعِنْدَ اتِّحَادِ الْجِهَةِ يُقَدَّمُ وَلَدُ الْعَصَبَةِ وَصَاحِبُ الْفَرْضِ، وَعِنْدَ اخْتِلَافِ الْجِهَةِ لَا يَقَعُ التَّرْجِيحُ بِهَذَا بَلْ يُعْتَبَرُ الْمُسَاوَاةُ فِي الِاتِّصَالِ بِالْمَيِّتِ؛ لِأَنَّ فِي جَانِبِ وَلَدِ الْعَصَبَةِ وَصَاحِبِ الْفَرْضِ قُوَّةَ السَّبَبِ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْمُدْلَى بِهِ، وَقَدْ بَيَّنَّا أَنَّ قُوَّةَ السَّبَبِ إنَّمَا تُعْتَبَرُ عِنْدَ اتِّحَادِ الْجِهَةِ لَا عِنْدَ اخْتِلَافِ الْجِهَةِ بَيَانُهُ فِيمَا إذَا تَرَكَ ابْنَةَ عَمٍّ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ أَوْ لِأَبٍ وَابْنَةَ عَمَّةٍ فَالْمَالُ كُلُّهُ لِابْنَةِ الْعَمِّ؛ لِأَنَّهَا وَلَدُ عَصَبَةٍ.
Al-Mabsoot, Page 21. Accessed on Al-Maktabah Al-Shamilah, 11-06-26
[2]
– قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَلَا يَرِثُ مَعَ ذِي سَهْمٍ وَعَصَبَةٍ سِوَى أَحَدِ الزَّوْجَيْنِ لِعَدَمِ الرَّدِّ عَلَيْهِمَا) أَيْ لَا يَرِثُ ذَوُو الْأَرْحَامِ مَعَ وُجُودِ ذَوِي فَرْضٍ أَوْ عَصَبَةٍ إلَّا إذَا كَانَ صَاحِبُ الْفَرْضِ أَحَدَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ فَيَرِثُونَ مَعَهُ لِعَدَمِ الرَّدِّ عَلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْعَصَبَةَ أَوْلَى.
Al-Bahr Al-Raiq, Page 578. Accessed on Al-Maktabah Al-Shamilah, 11-06-26