25th September 2024
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: A couple in Pakistan do not have children and so they adopted a girl (husband-brother’s daughter). If the couple pass away and she is the only adopted daughter (no other adopted kids), does the daughter inherit the wealth and properties etc?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, it is important to first understand the categorisation of inheritors in the Shariah. Inheritors are split into the following categories:
- Primary fixed heirs (Dha-wil-Furoodh) – These are heirs whose share has been mentioned in the Quran and are eligible to receive inheritance in every instance. They are mother, father, wife, husband, daughter etc.
- Secondary residual heirs (Al-Asabaat) – Those heirs who receive the residue from the estate either after the primary heirs or if none of the primary heirs exist. They are those who are paternally connected to the deceased via the medium of a male such as son, brothers, paternal nephews, paternal uncles and male children of paternal uncles and so forth.[1]
- Other distant relatives (Dhawil-Arhaam) – These heirs connected to the deceased via the medium of a female relationship and only receive inheritance when both primary and secondary or just the secondary heirs don’t exist. They include maternal grandchildren, paternal nieces, maternal nephews and nieces, paternal and maternal uncles etc.
Concerning your query, if the wife passes away then the adopted girl does not inherit anything as there’s no blood relationship between them. If the husband passes away leaving behind none of the primary or secondary relatives, then the adopted girl inherits the residue because she is his paternal niece who falls under the Dhawil -Arhaam category.[2]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Samrena Kashaf Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ibn Abideen, Raddul Muhtar, Kitabul Faraidh, Baabul Asabaat, Vol.6, page 773
قَالَ فِي الْمُغْرِبِ: الْعَصَبَةُ قَرَابَةُ الرَّجُلِ لِأَبِيهِ وَكَأَنَّهَا جَمْعُ عَاصِبٍ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُسْمَعْ بِهِ، مِنْ عَصَبُوا بِهِ إذَا أَحَاطُوا حَوْلَهُ ثُمَّ سُمِّيَ بِهَا الْوَاحِدُ وَالْجَمْعُ وَالْمُذَكَّرُ وَالْمُؤَنَّثُ لِلْغَلَبَةِ وَقَالُوا فِي مَصْدَرِهَا الْعُصُوبَةُ، وَالذَّكَرُ يُعَصِّبُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَيْ يَجْعَلُهَا عَصَبَةً اهـ فَالْعَصَبَاتُ جَمْعُ الْجَمْعِ كَالْجِمَالَاتِ أَوْ جَمْعُ الْمُفْرَدِ عَلَى جَعْلِ الْعَصَبَةِ اسْمًا تَأَمَّلْ (قَوْلُهُ: وَعَصَبَةٌ بِغَيْرِهِ وَعَصَبَةٌ مَعَ غَيْرِهِ) سَيَأْتِي بَيَانُ الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَهُمَا (قَوْلُهُ: فَالْأُنْثَى لَا تَكُونُ عَصَبَةً بِنَفْسِهَا إلَخْ) أَشَارَ إلَى أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ بِقَوْلِهِ: وَهُوَ كُلُّ ذَكَرٍ الْعَصَبَةُ بِالْغَيْرِ، وَالْعَصَبَةُ مَعَ الْغَيْرِ فَإِنَّهُمَا إنَاثٌ فَقَطْ وَأَمَّا الْمُعْتَقَةُ، فَهِيَ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ عَصَبَةً بِنَفْسِهَا، فَهِيَ لَيْسَتْ نَسَبِيَّةً، وَالْمَقْصُودُ الْعَصَبَاتُ النَّسَبِيَّةُ كَمَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ أَوَّلًا، وَلِذَلِكَ خَرَجَ الْمُعْتَقُ أَيْضًا (قَوْلُهُ: لَمْ يَدْخُلْ إلَخْ) الْمُرَادُ عَدَمُ تَوَسُّطِ الْأُنْثَى سَوَاءٌ تَوَسَّطَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْمَيِّتِ ذَكَرٌ كَالْجَدِّ وَابْنِ الِابْنِ أَوْ لَا كَالْأَبِ وَالِابْنِ الصُّلْبِيِّ (قَوْلُهُ: كَوَلَدِ الْأُمِّ) أَيْ الْأَخِ لِأُمٍّ وَأَمَّا الْأَخُ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ، فَإِنَّهُ عَصَبَةٌ بِنَفْسِهِ مَعَ أَنَّ الْأُمَّ دَاخِلَةٌ فِي نِسْبَتِهِ. وَأُجِيبَ بِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مَنْ لَا يَنْتَسِبُ بِالْأُنْثَى فَقَطْ، وَأَجَابَ السَّيِّدُ بِأَنَّ قَرَابَةَ الْأَبِ أَصْلٌ فِي اسْتِحْقَاقِ الْعُصُوبَةِ، فَإِنَّهَا إذَا انْفَرَدَتْ كَفَتْ فِي إثْبَاتِ الْعُصُوبَةِ، بِخِلَافِ قَرَابَةِ الْأُمِّ، فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَصْلُحُ بِانْفِرَادِهَا عِلَّةً لِإِثْبَاتِهَا فَهِيَ مُلْغَاةٌ فِي اسْتِحْقَاقِ الْعُصُوبَةِ لَكِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ وَصْفٍ زَائِدٍ فَرَجَّحْنَا بِهَا الْأَخَ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ عَلَى الْأَخِ لِأَبٍ اهـ. أَقُولُ، وَهَذَا أَوْلَى مِنْ قَوْلِ بَعْضِهِمْ إنَّهُ خَرَجَ بِقَوْلِهِ فِي نِسْبَتِهِ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَقُلْ فِي قَرَابَتِهِ فَإِنَّ الْأُنْثَى دَاخِلَةٌ فِي قَرَابَتِهِ لِأَخِيهِ لَا فِي نِسْبَتِهِ إلَيْهِ، لِأَنَّ النَّسَبَ لِلْأَبِ فَلَا يَثْبُتُ بِوَاسِطَةِ غَيْرِهِ اهـ.
[2] Mufti Mahmood Hasan Ajmeeri, Mueenul Faraiz, page 61-62