Question:
If there are no living, Muslim heirs, is the person allowed to allocate 100% to charity?
The Fatwa
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The Answer
The Fiqh of the Answer
Imam al-Qudũrĩ (d.428 AH), Imam al-Marghĩnāni (d.593 AH), Shaykhi Zāda (d.1078 AH) and others have stated that bequests are limited to one-third. Al-Sighnaqi (d. 711 AH) states that anything beyond one-third is prohibited, as the two thirds are the right of the inheritors and allocated for them. Hence, Shaykhi Zada (d.1078 AH) states that if the inheritors were to willingly permit a bequest that exceeds one third of the estate, it will be acceptable and will be executed.
The Binā’ (basis) of this Mas’alah revolves around the rights of the inheritors being attached to two thirds of the estate. When a right (Haqq) is attached to property, that right is upheld and given sanctity. However, the owner of the right can forgo their right, and in the absence of the right owner, there is no right to honour.
The restriction on making a will for an amount exceeding one-third of one’s wealth is primarily to safeguard the rights of legal heirs, as emphasised by scholars like Imam al-Marghĩnāni (d.593 AH) and Imam al-Qudũrĩ (d.428 AH). Imam al-‘Ayni (d.855 AH) in his commentary and Mulla Khusru (d.885 AH) state that when there are no types of heirs at all, the restriction of bequeathing more than one-third of one’s wealth is lifted, allowing an individual greater discretion in distributing their assets as they see fit.
And Almighty Allah Alone Knows Best
Maulana Adam Nathani
Trainee Mufti
Reviewed and approved by
Mufti Faraz Adam
Darul Iftaa Muadh ibn Jabal
www.darulfiqh.com
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م: (بعدما نفى) ش: أي بعدما نفى النبي – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – م: (وصيته) ش: أي وصية سعد م: (بالكل) ش: أي بكل المال م: (والنصف) ش: أي ونصف المال. يدل هذا على عدم الجواز بأكثر من الثلث، وإذا لم يكن له وارث تجوز الوصية بالكل، وبه قال الحسن البصري وشريك القاضي وإسحاق بن راهويه، وقال الشافعي ومالك وأحمد وابن شبرمة والأوزاعي والحسن بن حي وأبو سليمان وأصحاب الظاهر: ليس له أن يوصي بأكثر من الثلث.- كتاب البناية شرح الهداية.
(وَصَحَّتْ) أَيْ الْوَصِيَّةُ (بِالْكُلِّ) أَيْ بِكُلِّ مَالِهِ (عِنْدَ عَدَمِ وَارِثِهِ) لِأَنَّ الْمَانِعَ مِنْ الصِّحَّةِ تَعَلُّقُ حَقِّ الْوَارِثِ فَإِذَا انْتَفَى تَصِحُّ. (درر الحكام)
قَوْلُهُ: (كَمُسْتَأْمَنٍ) فَإِنَّهُ إذَا أَوْصَى بِكُلِّ مَالِهِ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَوْ ذِمِّيٍّ جَازَ، لِأَنَّ الْمَنْعَ عَنْ الْوَصِيَّةِ بِالْكُلِّ لِحَقِّ الْوَرَثَةِ، وَلَا حَقَّ لِلْوَرَثَةِ فِي دَارِ الْحَرْبِ. وَلْوَالِجِيَّةٌ. (تكملة حاشية ابن عابدين)
وإذا دخل الحربي بأمان فأوصى لمسلم أو ذمي بماله كله جاز؛ قيل هذا إذا لم يكن ورثته معه في دار الإسلام؛ أما إذا كانت الورثة معه يتوقف على إجازتهم؛ وأشار إلى هذا في الكتاب بقوله: وليس لورثته حق مرعي لكونهم في دار الحرب فذلك صحيح من غير اعتبار الثلث.
لما بينا أراد به قوله لأن امتناع الوصية بما زاد على الثلث لحق الورثة إلى آخره (النهاية)
)وَتَصِحُّ وَصِيَّةُ مُسْتَأْمَنٍ لَا وَارِثَ لَهُ فِي دَارِنَا بِكُلِّ مَالِهِ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَوْ ذِمِّيٍّ) لِأَنَّ الْقَصْرَ عَلَى الثُّلُثِ شَرْعًا لِحَقِّ الْوَرَثَةِ حَتَّى تَنْفُذَ بِإِجَازَتِهِمْ وَلَيْسَ لِوَرَثَتِهِ حَقٌّ مَرْعِيٌّ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ فِي دَارِ الْحَرْبِ وَهُمْ أَمْوَاتٌ، وَالْحَجْرُ بِنَاءً عَلَى حَقٍّ مَعْصُومٍ لَا يَصْلُحُ دَلِيلًا عَلَى الْحَجْرِ لِحَقٍّ غَيْرِ مَعْصُومٍ، إذْ حُقُوقُ أَهْلِ الْحَرْبِ غَيْرُ مَعْصُومَةٍ حَتَّى لَوْ كَانَتْ وَرَثَتُهُ فِي دَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ بِأَمَانٍ أَوْ بِذِمَّةٍ يَتَقَدَّرُ بِقَدْرِ الثُّلُثِ لِحُرْمَتِهِمْ. (مجمع الأنهر)