Woman Passes Away Leaving Behind Sisters, Nephews and Nieces

21st November 2023

 

Question: An elderly woman has passed away. She has no existing parents, no children and no husband.  She also has no existing uncles. She only has 3 full sisters and their children existing. She had 2 brothers who passed away many years before her. Both brothers had children who are still alive; elder brother had 1 son and 1 daughter and brother 2 had 1 daughter only.  Kindly inform us who is Islamically entitled to a share in her estate.

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer

In reference to your case scenario, after clearing all funeral expenses, fulfilling all outstanding debt and one-third of the deceased’s personal will for a specific cause (if she made one that is), based on the description above only her 3 full sisters and her paternal nephew (brother’s son) will inherit and the rest will be deprived.

  1. 3 sisters will inherit 2/3rd from the entire estate as they are amongst the Dhuwil-Furoodh category (those whose shares are stipulated in the Quran and Sunnah).[1]
  2. The paternal nephew will inherit the residue share (1/3rd) due to being the Asabah who inherit all whatever remains after the Dhuwil-Furoodh.[2]

Other family members such as her nieces from both sides will be deprived as they fall under the category of Dhuwil-Arham who don’t inherit anything in the presence of the Dhuwil-Furoodh and Asabah relatives.[3]

 

 

[Allãh Knows Best]

 

Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed

Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Faraidh, vol 1, p. 500

الْبَابُ الثَّانِي فِي ذَوِي الْفُرُوضِ

الْخَامِسَةُ – الْأَخَوَاتُ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ لِلْوَاحِدَةِ النِّصْفُ وَلِلثِّنْتَيْنِ فَصَاعِدًا الثُّلُثَانِ، كَذَا فِي خِزَانَةِ الْمُفْتِينَ وَمَعَ الْأَخِ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ، وَلَهُنَّ الْبَاقِي مَعَ الْبَنَاتِ أَوَمَعَ بَنَاتِ الِابْنِ، كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي.

[2] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Faraidh, vol 1, p. 501

الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي الْعَصَبَاتِ

عَصَبَةٌ بِنَفْسِهِ وَهُوَ كُلُّ ذَكَرٍ لَا يَدْخُلُ فِي نِسْبَتِهِ إلَى الْمَيِّتِ أُنْثَى وَهُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ أَصْنَافٍ: جُزْءُ الْمَيِّتِ وَأَصْلُهُ وَجُزْءُ أَبِيهِ وَجُزْءُ جَدِّهِ، كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ فَأَقْرَبُ الْعَصَبَاتِ الِابْنُ ثُمَّ ابْنُ الِابْنِ وَإِنْ سَفَلَ ثُمَّ الْأَبُ ثُمَّ الْجَدُّ أَبُ الْأَبِ وَإِنْ عَلَا، ثُمَّ الْأَخُ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ، ثُمَّ الْأَخُ لِأَبٍ ثُمَّ ابْنُ الْأَخِ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ، ثُمَّ ابْنُ الْأَخِ لِأَبٍ ….

 

[3] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Faraidh, vol 1, p. 507

الْبَابُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي ذَوِي الْأَرْحَامِ

وَذَوُو الْأَرْحَامِ كُلُّ قَرِيبٍ لَيْسَ بِذِي سَهْمٍ وَلَا عَصَبَةٍ وَهُمْ كَالْعَصَبَاتِ مَنْ انْفَرَدَ مِنْهُمْ أَخَذَ جَمِيعَ الْمَالِ……. وَصِنْفٌ يَنْتَمِي إلَى أَبَوَيْ الْمَيِّتِ كَبَنَاتِ الْإِخْوَةِ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ أَوْ لِأَبٍ وَأَوْلَادِ الْإِخْوَةِ لِأُمٍّ وَأَوْلَادِ الْأَخَوَاتِ كُلِّهَا،

وَإِنَّمَا يَرِثُ ذَوُو الْأَرْحَامِ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْفَرَائِضِ مِمَّنْ يُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَصَبَةٌ وَأَجْمَعُوا عَلَى أَنَّ ذَوِي الْأَرْحَامِ لَا يُحْجَبُونَ بِالزَّوْجِ وَالزَّوْجَةِ أَيْ يَرِثُونَ مَعَهُمَا