Inheritance

· 20 Jumada I 1436 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

My mother-in-law wants to know if she can give her inheritance equally among her children regardless of gender on her will?

Answer

The law of Shari'ah in regard to inheritance is that the male children will inherit two shares and the female children will inherit one share. Hence attaching this condition in one's will that after one's demise the male and female children will inherit equally is invalid and haraam in Islam.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّـهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنثَيَيْنِ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ مِن بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًا فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّـهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿النساء: ١١﴾

Answered by
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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