The Will and What it Must Consist of

The Witness for the Will

A Man Makes a Will and Appoints an Executor but he Refuses to Accept it

The Owner is more Rightful to his Property as Long as he is Living

Making a Will for the Heir

The Matters for which one can Make a Will and what is Preferable in the Issue

Another Chapter

A Man Makes a Will, then Cancels it

If the Beneficiary of a Will dies before the Death of the Testator or before Taking Possession

Executing the Will as it Requires

A Will for Setting free Slaves, Charity or al-Hajj

The Executor of the Will must Correct the Possible Violation of the Law in the Will

An Executor of the Will is held Responsible for Changing a Lawful Will

Al-Mudabbar (the Slave for whose Freedom Death of the Master is a Condition) is from One Third of the Legacy

First the Shroud, then Debts, then Will is paid for from the Legacy

The Will and Debts

One Who Sets Free a Slave and He is Indebted

The Will about a Contracted Slave

The Will of Immature Boys and Girls, the Lawful and Unlawful Matters in it

Will in Favor of Mothers of Children

The Matters Permissible in Endowment, Charity, Gift, Present, Providing Conditional Housing and Matters Permissible or otherwise for a Child and others

The Will for a Part of One’s Assets

The Will about Something of One’s Legacy

The Will about a Share of One’s Legacy

One in His Illness Confesses His Indebtedness to One of his Heirs

When certain ones of the Heirs Confirm Freeing of a Slave or Debts

The Case of One Who Leaves very Little Legacy with a Larger Amount of Debt and Dependents

The Adults whose Will is not Acceptable

Distribution of What is Bequeathed To Relatives

The Case of one who Makes a Bequest for an Adult with whom a Child must Share

The Case of One’s Appointing Two Executors for the Will, Each of whom Deals with a Certain Portion of the Legacy

Charities of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, Fatimah and ‘A’immah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam

Things that Reach a Deceased after his Death

The Rare Ahadith

The Case of One who Dies without a Will, Leaves behind Small Heirs and it is Sold upon Him

The Executor of the Will Hands over the Assets of Children who were Small, now Adults, but they Refuse to Take Charge, the Children who Become Adults but are not Found to be of Proper Understanding, the Limit of Adulthood

The Ordained Shares

The Legacy Comes from the Share of the One Nearest in Relationship to Him and that the Owner of Ordained Share is more Deserving than those who do not have any Ordained Share

Obligations are not Fulfilled without the Sword

Invalidity of Deficiency (in the Ordained Shares)

Another Chapter on Invalidity of al-‘Awl (deficiency or excess) and the Ordained Shares are not more than Six

Knowing to Avoid Deficiency

With the Existence of a Child and Parents no one Else Inherits Except a Husband and Wife

The Reason Why Ordained Shares are not more than Six

The Reason Why a Male’s Share is Twice the Share of a Female

The Legacy is Just for the Eldest Son

The Share of Children from the Legacy

The Share of Grandchildren in the legacy

Inheritance of Parents

Inheritance of Parents with Brothers and Sisters from the Father and Brothers and Sisters from the Mother

The Inheritance of a Son with both Parents

Inheritance of the Son, with Husband and Woman and Both Parents

Inheritance of Parents with Husband and Wife

AI-Kalalah (Burdensome one’s in Inheritance)

Inheritance of Brothers and Sisters with Children

Inheritance of the Grandfather

Brothers from a Mother with the Grandfather

Son of a Brother with a Grandfather

Inheritance of Relatives

A Woman Leaves Behind Just her Husband

A Deceased Leaves behind Just his Wife

Women do not Inherit Anything from Real Property

Dispute of Man and Woman over Household Items

Inheritance of a Boy and a Girl who are not yet Mature

The Inheritance of a Married and Mature Female before going to Bed

Inheritance of Women Divorced during Illness or without Illness

Inheritance of Relatives with Mawali

Inheritance of People Drowned and because of the Collapse of a Structure on them

Inheritance of People Killed, those who Inherit and those who do not Inherit from the Wergild

The Inheritance of a Killer

Inheritance of People of other Religions

Another Chapter on Inheritance of People of other Religions

The Inheritance of the People of Religion among them according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Holy Prophet

If a Deceased Leaves Behind Muslim and non-Muslim Heirs

Inheritance of Slaves

The Free and Slaves do not Inherit each other

Deceased leaves Behind One Free and One Owned Heir

The Inheritance Due to Special Contract

Inheritance of an Apostate

Inheritance of One who is Lost

Inheritance of the Crying Newborn Child

Inheritance of Hermaphrodite

Inheritance of the Child of Parents who Condemn Each other (al -Mula‘anah (condemnation))

Another Chapter about the Child of Mula‘anah (condemnation)

Inheritance of a Child from Fornication

The Case of a Child Carried away from his Birthplace ( al-Hamil )

Confirming of Certain Heir a Debt

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ نَسَخْتُ مِنْ كِتَابٍ بِخَطِّ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فُلانٌ مَوْلاكَ تُوُفِّيَ ابْنُ أَخٍ لَهُ وَتَرَكَ أُمَّ وَلَدٍ لَهُ لَيْسَ لَهَا وَلَدٌ فَأَوْصَى لَهَا بِأَلْفٍ هَلْ تَجُوزُ الْوَصِيَّةُ وَهَلْ يَقَعُ عَلَيْهَا عِتْقٌ وَمَا حَالُهَا رَأْيُكَ فَدَتْكَ نَفْسِي فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تُعْتَقُ فِي الثُّلُثِ وَلَهَا الْوَصِيَّةُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr who has narrated the following: “I once copied the following from a book with the handwriting of abu al-Hassan (a.s.). It said, ’So and so, your Maxvla’ (friend), has died leaving behind a son of his brother, a mother of his child who does not have a child but he has assigned in his will one thousand for her; if such will is lawful and if freedom applies to her and her condition. It is a request for your opinion, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause.’ He (the Imam) (a.s.), had written on it, ’She is free in one-third and the will belongs to her.”’ 

2- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الصَّيْرَفِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَاضِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ فِي رَجُلٍ مَاتَ وَلَهُ أُمُّ وَلَدٍ وَقَدْ جَعَلَ لَهَا شَيْئاً فِي حَيَاتِهِ ثُمَّ مَاتَ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ لَهَا مَا أَثَابَهَا بِهِ سَيِّدُهَا فِي حَيَاتِهِ مَعْرُوفٌ ذَلِكَ لَهَا تُقْبَلُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شَهَادَةُ الرَّجُلِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْخَادِمِ غَيْرِ الْمُتَّهَمِينَ.

2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Husayn ibn Khalid who has narrated the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, before this abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who died and left behind a mother of child for whom he willed something in his lifetime, then died. He (the Imam) wrote, ‘She can have what her master had given her in his lifetime in an acceptable manner. The testimony of both man and woman is acceptable in it as well as the testimony of a servant who is not accused of wrong doing.’” 

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي أُمِّ الْوَلَدِ إِذَا مَاتَ عَنْهَا مَوْلاهَا وَقَدْ أَوْصَى لَهَا قَالَ تُعْتَقُ فِي الثُّلُثِ وَلَهَا الْوَصِيَّةُ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from those whom he has mentioned who have narrated the following: “About the case of the mother of a child, when her master dies who has made a will for her, abu al- Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘She becomes free in one-third and the will belongs to her.’” 

4- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ أُمُّ وَلَدٍ وَلَهُ مِنْهَا غُلامٌ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ أَوْصَى لَهَا بِأَلْفَيْ دِرْهَمٍ أَوْ بِأَكْثَرَ لِلْوَرَثَةِ أَنْ يَسْتَرِقُّوهَا قَالَ فَقَالَ لا بَلْ تُعْتَقُ مِنْ ثُلُثِ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُعْطَى مَا أَوْصَى لَهَا بِهِ. وَفِي كِتَابِ الْعَبَّاسِ تُعْتَقُ مِنْ نَصِيبِ ابْنِهَا وَتُعْطَى مِنْ ثُلُثِهِ مَا أَوْصَى لَهَا بِهِ. 

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from all from ibn Mahbub from Jamil ibn Salih from abu ‘ Ubaydah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who had a mother of a child from whom he had a boy; and at the time of his death, willed for her two thousand or more; if the heirs can keep her as a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, they cannot keep her as a slave. She becomes free in one-third of the legacy of the deceased and receives what is willed for her.’ “In the book of al- ‘Abbas it is said that she is freed from the share of her son and what is willed for her is given from the one-third of his legacy.” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 1, Chapter 22