Inheritance and Wills

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “I am nearer to the believers than themselves, so if anyone dies leaving a debt without leaving enough to pay it I shall be responsible for paying it, and if anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs.” A version has, “If anyone leaves a debt or children without maintenance let the matter come to me, for I am his guardian.” Another version has, “If anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs and if anyone leaves dependents without resources they come to us.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Give the shares to those who are entitled to them, and what remains over goes to the nearest male heir.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Usama b. Zaid reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A Muslim may not inherit from an infidel or an infidel from a Muslim.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “The freedman* of a people is one of them.” * <i>Maula</i>. This word may mean either the one who emancipates or the one who has been emancipated, and therefore the tradition has received two different interpretations according to the meaning of <i>maula</i>. Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A sister’s son has blood- relationship to her family.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God's Messenger as saying, “People of two different religions may not inherit from one another.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted it from Jabir.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One who kills a man cannot inherit from him.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Buraida said that the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed a sixth to a grandmother if no mother is left to inherit before her. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When an infant has raised its voice and then dies*, prayer is offered over it and it is treated as an heir.” *"And then dies” does not occur in the text, but is obviously to be understood from the context. The position is that when the heir of someone who has died is expecting a child, the division of the property must not be made till the child is born. If the child lives long enough to raise it voice it is entitled to a share in the inheritance. Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Kathir b. ‘Abdallah, on his father’s authority, said that his grand-father reported God's Messenger as saying, “The freedman of a people is one of them, the ally* of a people is one of them, and a sister’s son has blood-relationship to her family.” * Or "close friend". Dawud transmitted it.

Al-Miqdam reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I am nearer to every believer than himself, so if anyone leaves a debt or a helpless family I shall be responsible, but if anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs. I am the patron of him who has none, inheriting what he possesses and freeing him from his liabilities. A maternal uncle is heir of him who has none, inheriting his property and freeing him from his liabilities.” A version has, “I am the heir of him who has none, paying blood wit for him and inheriting from him; and a maternal uncle is the heir of him who has none, paying blood wit for him and inheriting from him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Wathila b. al-Asqa‘ reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A woman gets inheritance from the three following:

one she has set free, a foundling, and her child about whom she has invoked a curse on herself if she was untrue in declaring he was not born out of wedlock.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, said his grandfather reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “If a man commits fornication with a freewoman or a slave woman the child is the product of fornication, and neither does he inherit nor may anyone inherit from him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that a client of God’s Messenger died leaving some property, but no relative or child, and God’s Messenger said, “Give what he has left to a man belonging to his village." Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Buraida said that a man of Khuza'a died and his estate was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) who gave instructions to look for an heir of his or some relative, but they found neither, so God’s Messenger said, “Give it to the leading man* of Khuza'a’ (<i>al-kubr</i>. This may mean the greatest in rank or in age, or, more probably, the nearest in kin to the man's oldest ancestor, the one with fewest intermediate links. Abu Dawud transmitted it. In a version by him he said, “Look for the greatest (<i>akbar</i>. This might mean greatest or oldest, but it is most probably used here in the same sense as <i>al-kubr</i>) man of Khuza'a.'’

‘Ali said:

You recite this verse, “After a legacy you bequeathe or a debt (Al-Qur’an 4:12),’’ but God’s Messenger decided that a debt should be discharged before a legacy and that the sons of the same mother inherit from one another, but not the sons of one father by different mothers. A man inherits from his brother who has the same father and mother, but not from his brother who has the same father but a different mother. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In a version by Darimi he said, “Brothers who have the same mother inherit from one another but not sons of the same father but of different mothers, etc."

Jabir said:

The wife of Sa'd b. ar-Rabi’ brought to God’s Messenger her two daughters whose father was Sa'd b. ar-Rabi' and said, “Messenger of God, these are the daughters of Sa'd b. ar-Rabi’. Their father was killed as a martyr when he was with you at the battle of Uhud, their paternal uncle has taken their property leaving them nothing, and they cannot be married unless they have some property." He replied that God would decide regarding the matter, and when the verse about inheritance (Al-Qur’an 4:11) was sent down God’s Messenger sent to their paternal uncle and said, “Give Sa'd’s two daughters two-thirds and their mother an eighth, and what remains is yours." Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>hasan gharib</i> tradition.

Huzail b. Shurahbil said:

Abu Musa was asked about a case where there were a daughter, a son’s daughter and a sister and replied, “The daughter gets half and the sister gets half. Go to Ibn Mas'ud and you will find that he agrees with me.” When Ibn Mas'ud was asked and told what Abu Musa had said he replied, “I would then be in error and not be one of those who are rightly guided. I decide concerning the matter as the Prophet (ﷺ) did: The daughter gets half and the son’s daughter a sixth, making two-thirds, and what remains goes to the sister.” We then went to Abu Musa and when we told him what Ibn Mas'ud had said he replied, “Do not question me as long as this learned man is among you.” Bukhari transmitted it. (Here again we find a tradition by Bukhari in Section 2.)

'Imran b. Husain said:

A man came to God’s Messenger and said, “My son’s son has died, so what do I receive from his estate?” He replied, “You receive a sixth;” then when he turned away he called him and said, “You receive another sixth;” and when he turned away he called him and said, “The other sixth is an allowance [beyond what is due],” (It would seem, although it is not explicit, that the grandson had left two daughters who were therefore entitled to two-thirds of the estate. The grandfather was entitled only to a sixth, but was given another sixth, as a favour, presumably because there were no other heirs). Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>hasan sahih</i> tradition.

Qabisa b. Dhu’aib said that when a grandmother came to Abu Bakr asking him for her share of an estate he told her that nothing was prescribed for her in God’s Book or in the <i>sunna</i> of God's Messenger, but asked her to go home till he had questioned the people. When he did so, al-Mughira b. Shu'ba said he had been present with God's Messenger when he gave her a sixth. Abu Bakr asked if anyone had been with him and Muhammad b. Maslama said the same as al- Mughira had said, so Abu Bakr made it apply to her. Another grand-mother came to ‘Umar asking him for her share of an estate and he said, “It is that sixth. If there are two of you it is shared between you, but whichever is the only one left gets it all.” Malik, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.