Inheritance Question
Question
I wanted to ask a question regarding inheritance. My father wrote a will many years ago , he has since passed away a few years ago and now only we are selling his house which is his only assett left to 2 daughters (me and my sister ) and 2 sons (my brothers). In the will it states me and my sister should each recieve 1 8th share each and my brothers and my brothers 3 8th shares each. This would mean my brother get triple our share. I know according to shariah my brothers should get double and not triple and im not sure if my father made a mistake or it was intentional as he was a practising muslim. So should we split the shares according to shariah or according to his will as i want to do the right and dont want my father to get the sin of distributing his asset wrongfully.
Answer
The estate will have to be distributed according to Shariah. Shariah commands that the brothers will receive double the share of the sisters.
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)
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