23.

Chapters on Shares of Inheritance

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كتاب الفرائض

Madan bin Abu Talhah Al-Ya’muri narrated that Umar bin Khattab (رضي الله تعالى عنه) stood up to deliver a sermon one Friday, or he addressed them one Friday. He praised and glorified Allah, and said, ‘by Allah, I am not leaving behind any problem more difficult than the one who leaves behind an heir. I asked the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), and he never spoke so harshly to me about anything as he spoke to me about this. He jabbed his finger into my side or my chest and said, ‘O Umar (رضي الله تعالى عنه), sufficient for you is the verse that was revealed in summer, at the end of Surat An-Nisa.’

Umar bin Khattab (رضي الله تعالى عنه) narrated that ‘there are three things, if the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had clarified them, that would have been dearer to me than the world and everything in it; (i) a person who leaves behind no heir, (ii) usury, and the (iii) Caliphate.’

Muhammad bin Munkadir narrated that he heard Jabir bin Abdullah say, I fell sick and the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) came to visit me walking along with Abu Bakr ( رضي الله تعالى عنه). When they came, I had lost consciousness, so the Apostle of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) performed ablution and poured some of the water of his ablution over me. I said, ‘O Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), what should I do? How should I decide about my wealth?’ Thus, the verses of inheritance were revealed in Sura An-Nisa - ُوَلَك ْْ وَاجُكُمَكَ أَزُ مَا تَرمْ نِّصْف ِِّّ يَّةٍ يُوصَكْنَ ۚ مِّنْ بَعْدِّ وَصُّ بُعُ مِّمَّا تَرإِّنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِّنْ كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ الر َْكْتُمْ إِّنْ لَمْ يَكُنُّ بُعُ مِّمَّا تَرْ دَيْنٍ ۚ وَلَهُنَّ الرينَ بِّهَا أَوۚ ٌلَكُمْ وَلَد ْْ دَيْنٍ ۗ وَإِّنِّ يَّةٍ تُوصُونَ بِّهَا أَوَكْتُمْ ۚ مِّنْ بَعْدِّ وَ صفَإِّنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ فَلَهُنَّ الثُّمُنُ مِّمَّا تَر ٌَأَةٌ وَلَهُ أَخَ لَةً أَوِّ امْرَثُ كَالَجُلٌ يُوركَانَ ر َُ ۚ فَإِّنْ كَانُوا أَكْثِّ دٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسْ أُخْتٌ فَلِّكُل ِّ وَاحأَو ۚ ٍ َ مُضَارْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَٰ بِّهَا أَوِّ يَّةٍ يُوصَىَكَاءُ فِّي الثُّلُثِّ ۚ مِّنْ بَعْدِّ وَ صَ مِّنْ ذََٰلِّكَ فَهُمْ شُرر ٌَّ ُ عَلِّيمٌ حَلِّيمَّ ِّ ۗ وََّللاِّ يَّةً مِّنَ َّللاوَ ص [ And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they (may have) made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you (may have) made or debt. And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth. But if they are more than two, they share a third, after any bequest which was made or debt if there is no detriment (caused). (This is) an ordinance from Allah, and Allah is Knowing and Forbearing.] (An-Nisa – 12). And - ََ لَةِّ ۚ إِّنِّ امْرُؤٌ هَلَكَّ ُ يُفْتِّيكُمْ فِّي الْكَاليَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِّ َّللاۚ ََكُ مَا تَرَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَهُ أُخْتٌ فَلَهَا نِّصْفلَيْس ََكَ ۚ وَإِّنْ كِّ ثُهَا إِّنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا وَ لَدٌ ۚ فَإِّنْ كَانَتَا اثْنَتَيْنِّ فَلَهُمَا الثُّلُثَانِّ مِّمَّا تَروَ هُوَ يَر ًانُوا إِّخْوَ ة ُ َِّّ لُّوا ۗ وََّللاَّ ُ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَضْ ُنْثَيَيْنِّ ۗ يُبَي ِّنُ َّللاِّ مِّثْلُ حَظ ِّ األً وَ نِّسَاءً فَلِّلذَّكَرِّ جَاالر ٌبِّكُل ِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِّيم [They ask you (O' Prophet ﷺ) about Kalalah (a man who dies childless). Say, Allah has given a decision in the matter of inheritance. If a man dies and leaves no child behind but have a sister, she will get half of what he owned, as he would have done the whole of what she possessed if she had died childless. In case he has two sisters then they will get two-thirds of the heritage. But if he has both brothers and sisters, the male will inherit a share equal to that of two females. Allah makes this manifest to you, lest you wander astray, for Allah has knowledge of all the things.] (An-Nisa -176).