12th November 2024
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: My brother died and left a wife who is not a Muslim. He has 2 sons (15 and 12 years old and one daughter (4 years old) all who were brought up as Muslim. No parents are alive. He left behind £50,000. Could you calculate each person’s Islamic share? Regarding Zakāt, is it payable on the inheritance he did not pay it that year whilst he was alive.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, the Islamic laws of inheritance distribution as prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah follow the death of the person after clearing all funeral expenses, any outstanding debt and fulfilling one-third of the deceased’s personal will from their wealth[1]. Whatever remains thereafter will be distributed among his legal inheritors. The wife will not inherit due to being a non-Muslim. [2] If his children were brought up as Muslims, then they will inherit from their father’s estate. His estate will be divided into 5 parts: each son inheriting double the share of a daughter.[3] A legal guardian must be appointed to manage the wealth of a minor inheritor until they reach the legal age maturity and able to manage their own wealth.
| Legal Beneficiaries
|
Entitlement from 5 parts | Monetary Value |
| Son 1 | 2 | £20,000 |
| Son 2 | 2 | £20,000 |
| Daughter | 1 | £10,000 |
| Total | 5 | £50,000 |
Concerning the query about his unpaid Zakāt, the Zakat rulings are now dropped due to absence of ownership unless he made a wasiyyat (a personal will) before he died for it to be paid from one-third of his wealth. If the inheritors pay Zakāt before inheritance distribution, then that is permissible, otherwise not necessary. The wealth now belongs to his children and become responsible for paying Zakāt after fulfilling its pre-requisites.
[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, Vol. 6, page 759-760
(قَوْلُهُ يَعُمُّ التَّكْفِينُ)
كَكَفَنِ السُّنَّةِ أَوْ قَدْرِ مَا كَانَ يَلْبَسُهُ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَلَوْ هَلَكَ كَفَنُهُ فَلَوْ قَبْلَ تَفَسُّخِهِ كُفِّنَ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ أُخْرَى وَكُلُّهُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَالِهِ (ثُمَّ) تُقَدَّمُ (دُيُونُهُ الَّتِي لَهَا مُطَالبٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْعِبَادِ) وَيُقَدَّمُ دَيْنُ الصِّحَّةِ عَلَى دَيْنِ الْمَرَضِ إنْ جُهِلَ سَبَبُهُ وَإِلَّا فَسِيَّانِ كَمَا بَسَطَهُ السَّيِّدُ، (وَأَمَّا دَيْنُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَإِنْ أَوْصَى بِهِ وَجَبَ تَنْفِيذُهُ مِنْ ثُلُثِ الْبَاقِي وَإِلَّا لَا ثُمَّ) تُقَدَّمُ (وَصِيَّتُهُ)
[2] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitabul Faraidh, Vol.6, page 454
وَاخْتِلَافُ الدَّيْنِ أَيْضًا يَمْنَعُ الْإِرْثَ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الِاخْتِلَافُ بَيْنَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْكُفْرِ، وَأَمَّا اخْتِلَافُ مِلَلِ الْكُفَّارِ كَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَالْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَالْمَجُوسِيَّةِ وَعَبَدَةِ الْوَثَنِ فَلَا يَمْنَعُ الْإِرْثَ حَتَّى يَجْرِيَ التَّوَارُثُ بَيْنَ الْيَهُودِيِّ وَالنَّصْرَانِيِّ وَالْمَجُوسِيِّ
.
[3] Quran, Surah Nisaa, Ayah 11
يُوصِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَوْلَـٰدِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۚ
“Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. (4:11)”