The Laws of Inheritance in Islam-I

All that is on earth and in the heavens originally and truly belong to God, and shall finally return to Him, so declares the Qur'an emphatically. Whether the humans like it or not, our moment in the universe is brief and transitory in the onward march of history- to succeed people who go ahead of us and to be succeeded by people who come after us. The riches and affluence of this world is only for a period of time- and the ultimate end of all affairs is with God. Among the attributive Names of God, the Qur'an speaks about "Al Waris", the Supreme Heir: "It is We who give life and death; it is We who inherit (everything)"---(Surah Al-Hijr, 15:24). The Qur’an thus provides an ethical framework for the believers to look at questions of property, wealth and possessions: upon the death of a person, all property returns to God and the portion to legal heirs are apportioned by Divine Decree, leading to the Divine redistribution of the wealth of the deceased. 

Under the Qur'anic framework on succession, both men and women among family relations- children, parents, siblings and spouses- are entitled for a fixed and mandatory share of the wealth of their deceased relatives. “Men have a share in (the assets) that their parents or nearest kin leave behind, and women (also) have a share in the inheritance of their parents and the nearest kin. Be it small or large, the share has been fixed (by Allah)”. (Surah Al-Nisa, 4: 08).  Other verses in the Qur'an (4:12-14;177) identify the specific rules for apportioning the estate by Divine Decree. The prescribed shares of the male and female heirs are to be distributed among them after the payment of debts- including funeral expenses- and the fulfillment of the Will the believer may have made prior to death. 

On the basis of Qur'anic rules of inheritance, the Holy Prophet (sa) issued practical guidance on new issues that emerged in the context of the companions' family lives, especially on matters that the Qur’an did not specifically comment upon. For instance, to strike a balance between a person's right to bequeath his property by will to other than one's legal heirs prior to death and to protect the interests of the legal heirs, it was clarified that not more than one-third of the estate can be given away in such a manner. Through the centuries, by applying reasoning and analogy, Muslims have evolved a vast corpus of jurisprudence (Fiqh) on the distribution of shares in varying contexts of the life of the Ummah. In his Friday Sermon of 10 August 2018 (27 Dhul-Qaddah 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius provides a magisterial survey of the most important features of Islamic inheritance law and comprehensively explains the profound obligations on devout Muslims in this regard- of making distributive arrangements for smooth transitions in the wealth and assets they (are to) leave behind, and also to respect the rights of women and other vulnerable legal heirs in matters of succession. 

Read the First part of the Two-part Sermon Below:   

According to Quran and Hadith, according to Shariah, it is incumbent on a Muslim to distribute his wealth among his heirs. It is thus his duty to make all necessary procedures so that after his demise, his wealth is distributed as per the commandments of Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). 

The share (fraction/ percentage) that a wife or a husband or a mother or a sister receive is obligatory (Farz) just like Salaat/ Namaz, Sawm/ Roza, Zakaat are Farz. The proportion that we have to distribute in inheritance comes essentially from the Quran. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “Learn the laws of inheritance and teach them to others as they are half of knowledge…” (Mustadrak Al Saheehain).

Pride and Prejudice in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

O my Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Al-Furqan 25: 75).

Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure. (Al-Imran 3: 9).

Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

 'Practice' versus 'preaching' in the Nizam-e-Jamaat

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community headed by a man-elected caliph deceives the world with his beautiful speeches about peace and the need to have Love for All and Hatred for None.

As Caliph and Messenger of Allah, it is my duty to put before the world, especially in front of all Ahmadi Muslims around the world, the true face of their present caliph, who certainly does not practice what he preaches.

The Break-up of Ahmadi Families in Mauritius

To hide his face, he tells people who ask him questions about the current situation in Mauritius, a situation that for more than seventeen years has turned sour in the Ahmadiyya Community of Mauritius, [that everything is fine]. With the instructions, directives that come directly from the current caliph, the chiefs of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius are doing whatever they like by implementing what they call, the caliph’s instructions, such instructions that they absolutely must implement, despite the fact that these same instructions are against the vital teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and even the teachings of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).

In view of the world, the caliph preaches peace, he is a peaceful man, a man of peace. He insists that there is no problem in Mauritius, that everything is fine in the best of all worlds! But in truth, the more he masks the break-up and massacres in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius and elsewhere in the world within the Ahmadi families, the more the truth turns into a powerful wave to reverse his Machiavellian plans. He takes himself as a gatherer, but in truth he is only a man who wants to divide families and break the Muslim unity and family union.

'Learn to Forgive: Gain God's Mercy'

Many of you (Muslims) do not speak to one another, your brothers and sisters. How many daughters-in-law do not speak to their mothers-in-law anymore? Worse, even between parents and their children, there is no longer the flow of communication. This list unfortunately remains very long.

It goes without saying that a true believer seeks the forgiveness of Allah, but one of the actions we forsake, whether through ignorance or ego, is to forgive the one who has wronged us. It is good to know that Allah forgives whom He wills: “He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Al-Imran 3: 130).

A question we can ask ourselves - Why do I have to forgive? If Allah forgives us, despite all our shortcomings, all our faults and bad deeds, how is it so difficult for me to forgive my mother, my father, my own brother or my own sister, my children, in-laws etc.?

It is the quality of the prophets of Allah to forgive. But we are not prophets, you would say to me. But the prophets are the best creatures of Allah that we must take as models. When studying their lives, it will be noticed that they have won people’s hearts by forgiving them. This is the quality of a good servant of Allah. In the Holy Quran, Allah (swt) tells us that among the Muttaqun who will enter paradise, are those who have forgiven their brothers. If we really want to be considered as such, then we must develop in ourselves the will to forgive our brothers and sisters; Allah says concerning the Muttaqi: “(Those) who restrain their anger and forgive others [...]”. (Al-Imran 3: 135).

What makes one a Muttaqi is his capacity to control his anger and despite his strength and courage, he forgives those who have wronged him. We are not dishonoured by forgiving. He who forgives his brother, not only does he lose nothing, but is honoured by Allah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Allah will raise (the status/ degree of) the one who forgives for the sake of Allah.” (Muslim).