Can Inheritance Distribution be Revised?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Badat

Question:

A parent passed away leaving behind adult children (brothers and sisters). The brothers told the sisters that they would give them a lump sum of money and remove them from the inheritance (titles of the land properties). They agreed. Many years passed by and they only gave a portion of the money promised. Now the sisters want their shares according to shari’ah (Islamic law) rather than the lump sum. Are they entitled to their share even though they agreed previously for a lump sum?

Also, is it allowed to take inheritance knowing or having doubt that the money is through ḥarām (islamically prohibited) means and is/might be ḥarām?

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathabah Institute.

In the scenario where all entitled heirs have agreed in the past to settle and distribute inheritance with specified lump sum payment amounts to some and property to others, instead of the Qur’ānic allocated portions, it can only be reverted back to the Qur’ānic portions if all heirs once again agree. If even one person from the heirs disagrees then the initial first agreement of lump sum payment amounts to some and property to others will stand. There is no default right to revert back without mutual agreement of all the heirs. – (See: Badā’i Al-Ṣanā’I Volume 6, Page 16, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, Aḥkām Al-Qur’ān, Volume 3, Page 285, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah)

It must be noted here that the brothers who have not transferred the agreed lump sum amounts to the sisters are sinful and answerable to the Almighty. They should discharge their responsibility to avoid further sin.

If it is absolutely certain that the wealth of the deceased is obtained from ḥarām (islamically prohibited) sources, then the inheritance received should be donated in charity to the poor with no intent of reward. If there is a mere doubt about the source of the income then it is islamicaly lawful to keep the inheritance. – (See: Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindīyyah, Vol 5, Page 349, Dār Al-Fikr)

“O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts.” – (Qur’ān 5:1)

“Muslims will be held to their conditions, except the conditions that make the lawful unlawful, or the unlawful lawful.” – (Tirmidhi 1352)

“If anyone deprives an heir of their inheritance, Allāh will deprive them of their inheritance in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” – (Mishkāt Al-Maṣābīḥ 3078)

Only Allāh knows best

إذَا كَانَتْ بِغَيْرِ أَمْرِهِ فَظَاهِرٌ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَمْلِكُ الرُّجُوعَ عَلَى الْمُحِيلِ – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع ج٦/ ص١٦ دار الكتب العلمية

لِأَنَّ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قَدْ أَلْزَمَ نَفْسَهُ التَّمَامَ عَلَيْهِ وَالْوَفَاءَ بِهِ وَسُمِّيَ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ عَقْدًا لِأَنَّ الْحَالِفَ قَدْ أَلْزَمَ نَفْسَهُ الْوَفَاءَ بِمَا حَلَفَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ فِعْلٍ أَوْ تَرْكٍ وَالشَّرِكَةُ وَالْمُضَارَبَةُ وَنَحْوُهَا تُسَمَّى أَيْضًا عُقُودًا لِمَا وَصَفْنَا مِنْ اقْتِضَائِهِ الْوَفَاءَ بِمَا شَرَطَهُ عَلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الرِّبْحِ وَالْعَمَلِ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَأَلْزَمَهُ نَفْسَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ الْعَهْدُ وَالْأَمَانُ لِأَنَّ مُعْطِيَهَا قَدْ أَلْزَمَ نَفْسَهُ الْوَفَاءَ بِهَا وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ شَرْطٍ شَرَطَهُ إنْسَانٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فِي شَيْءٍ يَفْعَلُهُ فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ فَهُوَ عَقْدٌ وَكَذَلِكَ النُّذُورُ وَإِيجَابُ الْقُرَبِ وَمَا جَرَى مَجْرَى ذَلِكَ – احكام القرآن ج٢/ ص٣٧٠ دار الكتب العلمية

وَإِذَا مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ وَكَسْبُهُ خَبِيثٌ فَالْأَوْلَى لِوَرَثَتِهِ أَنْ يَرُدُّوا الْمَالَ إلَى أَرْبَابِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا أَرْبَابَهُ تَصَدَّقُوا بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ كَسْبُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحِلُّ وَابْنُهُ يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ وَمَاتَ الْأَبُ وَلَا يَعْلَمُ الِابْنُ ذَلِكَ بِعَيْنِهِ فَهُوَ حَلَالٌ لَهُ فِي الشَّرْعِ وَالْوَرَعُ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ بِنِيَّةِ خُصَمَاءِ أَبِيهِ كَذَا فِي الْيَنَابِيعِ – كتاب الفتاوى الهندية ج٥/ ص ٣٤٩ دار الفكر

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ – المائدة ١

الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى شُرُوطِهِمْ إِلاَّ شَرْطًا حَرَّمَ حَلاَلاً أَوْ أَحَلَّ حَرَامًا – رواه الترمذي ١٣٥٢

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ قَطَعَ مِيرَاثَ وَارِثِهِ قَطَعَ اللَّهُ مِيرَاثَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ – مشكوة المصابيخ ٣٠٧٨