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- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ الشَّعِيرِيِّ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ عُتَيْبَةَ قَالَ كُنَّا عَلَى بَابِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَنَحْنُ جَمَاعَةٌ نَنْتَظِرُهُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ إِذْ جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ أَيُّكُمْ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَقَالَ لَهَا الْقَوْمُ مَا تُرِيدِينَ مِنْهُ قَالَتْ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَقَالُوا لَهَا هَذَا فَقِيهُ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ فَسَلِيهِ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ زَوْجِي مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ وَكَانَ لِي عَلَيْهِ مِنْ صَدَاقِي خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأَخَذْتُ صَدَاقِي وَأَخَذْتُ مِيرَاثِي ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَادَّعَى عَلَيْهِ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ فَشَهِدْتُ لَهُ فَقَالَ الْحَكَمُ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَحْسُبُ مَا يُصِيبُهَا إِذْ خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي أَرَاكَ تُحَرِّكُ بِهِ أَصَابِعَكَ يَا حَكَمُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَقَالَةِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَمَا سَأَلَتْ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَقَرَّتْ بِثُلُثِ مَا فِي يَدَيْهَا وَلا مِيرَاثَ لَهَا قَالَ الْحَكَمُ فَوَ اللهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَداً أَفْهَمَ مِنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام). قَالَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ شَاذَانَ وَتَفْسِيرُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الَّذِي عَلَى الزَّوْجِ صَارَ أَلْفاً وَخَمْسَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ لِلرَّجُلِ أَلْفٌ وَلَهَا خَمْسُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ هُوَ ثُلُثُ الدَّيْنِ وَإِنَّمَا جَازَ إِقْرَارُهَا فِي حِصَّتِهَا فَلَهَا مِمَّا تَرَكَ الْمَيِّتُ الثُّلُثُ وَلِلرَّجُلِ الثُّلُثَانِ فَصَارَ لَهَا مِمَّا فِي يَدَيْهَا الثُّلُثُ وَيُرَدُّ الثُّلُثَانِ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ وَالدَّيْنُ اسْتَغْرَقَ الْمَالَ كُلَّهُ فَلَمْ يَبْقَ شَيْ‏ءٌ يَكُونُ لَهَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمِيرَاثِ وَلا يَجُوزُ إِقْرَارُهَا عَلَى غَيْرِهَا.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj from Zakariya ibn Yahya from al-Shu‘ayriy from al-Hakam ibn ‘Utaybah who has narrated the following: “Once we were with abu Ja‘far (a.s.). We were in a group waiting for him (the Imam) to come out. A woman came and asked, ’Which one of you is abu Ja‘far?’ The people asked, ‘What for are you asking for him?’ She replied, T want to ask him about an issue.’ They said, ‘This is the jurist of the people of Iraq. You can ask him your question.’ She said, ‘My husband has died and has left one thousand dirham as legacy. He owed me five hundred dirham as my mahr (dower) and my share of inheritance which I took from the legacy but then a man came and said my husband owed him one thousand dirham and I testified in his favor.’ Al-Hakam has said, ‘I was calculating it that abu Ja‘far (a.s.), came out and said, ‘Why is it that I see you move your fingers, O Hakam?’ I replied, ‘This woman has mentioned that her husband has died. He has left one thousand dirham as legacy. He owed to her five hundred dirham as her mahr (dower). She took her dower and the share of her inheritance but then a man came and said that her husband owed him one thousand dirham and she testified in his favor.’ Hakam has said, ‘By Allah I had not completed my words that he (the Imam) said, ‘She has confessed to give back one-third of what she has in her hand and she does not have anything as her share of inheritance.’ Hakam has said, ‘I had never seen, by Allah, anyone more intelligent than abu Ja‘far (a.s.).”’ [Note: The next several passages of the Arabic text are words of al-Fadl and are not translated.] 

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ وَحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي رَجُلٍ مَاتَ وَأَقَرَّ بَعْضُ وَرَثَتِهِ لِرَجُلٍ بِدَيْنٍ قَالَ يَلْزَمُهُ ذَلِكَ فِي حِصَّتِهِ. 

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Hamzah and Husayn ibn ‘Uthman from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “About the case of a man who dies and certain ones of his heirs confirm his indebtedness to a man, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It becomes binding upon them on their shares.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 2, Chapter 60