Fatwa ID: 09204
Answered by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Question:
Can inheritance go to non Muslim (Christian) wife and kids? A person had a Muslim family and Christian family e.g 2 wives.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
A Muslim cannot inherit from a non-Muslim, and vice versa. [1] Hence, if a person had two wives; one Muslim and the other Christian; only the Muslim wife will inherit from the deceased Muslim husband. Furthermore, only the children who are Muslim will inherit from their deceased Muslim father.
Assuming the deceased left behind at least one Muslim child, his Muslim wife will receive 1/8 of his estate (after discharging debts, funeral expenses, bequests, etc.) [2], and the Christian wife will receive nothing. If the deceased did not leave behind any Muslim children, the Muslim wife will receive a 1/4 share of his estate. [3] The Muslim children will have a share in the deceased’s inheritance, whereas the Christian children will not have any share.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(وَاخْتِلَافُ الدِّينِ) إسْلَامًا وَكُفْرًا
ص767 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – كتاب الفرائض – المكتبة الشاملة
[2]
(ثُمَّ) تُقَدَّمُ (دُيُونُهُ الَّتِي لَهَا مُطَالِبٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْعِبَادِ)
ص760 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – كتاب الفرائض – المكتبة الشاملة
[3]
وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُم ۚ مِّنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ تُوصُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍۢ
The Qur’an (4:12)