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 وَعَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَاسَانِيِّ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَرَأَيْتَ إِذَا رَأَيْتُ شَيْئاً فِي يَدَيْ رَجُلٍ أَيَجُوزُ لِي أَنْ أَشْهَدَ أَنَّهُ لَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ فِي يَدِهِ وَلا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ لَهُ فَلَعَلَّهُ لِغَيْرِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَفَيَحِلُّ الشِّرَاءُ مِنْهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَلَعَلَّهُ لِغَيْرِهِ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ جَازَ لَكَ أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَهُ وَيَصِيرَ مِلْكاً لَكَ ثُمَّ تَقُولَ بَعْدَ الْمِلْكِ هُوَ لِي وَتَحْلِفَ عَلَيْهِ وَلا يَجُوزُ أَنْ تَنْسِبَهُ إِلَى مَنْ صَارَ مِلْكُهُ مِنْ قِبَلِهِ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَوْ لَمْ يَجُزْ هَذَا لَمْ يَقُمْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ سُوقٌ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasaniy all have narrated from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from Sulayman ibn Dawud from Hafs ibn Ghiyath who has narrated the following: “Once a man asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘If I see something in the hand of a man can I testify that it belongs to him?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ The man then said, ‘I can testify that it is in his hand but how can I testify that it belongs to him, perhaps it belongs to someone else ? 5 He (the Imam) asked, ‘Is it lawful to buy it from him?’ The man replied, ‘Yes, it is lawful to buy it from him.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘It perhaps belongs to someone else; then how it becomes lawful for you to buy it from him and how can it become of your belongings? How after taking possession can you say that it belongs to you, you can swear and it would be unlawful to ascribe its ownership to one from whose possession its ownership is transferred to you?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Had it been as you said, the Muslims could never establish a market.”’ 

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ ابْنَ أَبِي لَيْلَى يَسْأَلُنِي الشَّهَادَةَ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ مَاتَ فُلانٌ وَتَرَكَهَا مِيرَاثَهُ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ وَارِثٌ غَيْرُ الَّذِي شَهِدْنَا لَهُ فَقَالَ اشْهَدْ بِمَا هُوَ عِلْمُكَ قُلْتُ إِنَّ ابْنَ أَبِي لَيْلَى يُحْلِفُنَا الْغَمُوسَ قَالَ احْلِفْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَلَى عِلْمِكَ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has narrated the following: “I once said to him (the Imam) (a.s.), that ibn abu Layla’ asks me to testify that this is a house and so and so has died and has left it behind as his legacy and that there is no other heir for him except the ones in whose favor we have testified. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can testify about what you have knowledge thereof.’ I then said that ibn abu Layla’ makes us to swear falsely. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can swear about what you know.’” 

3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ يَكُونُ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ إِخْوَانِي عِنْدِي شَهَادَةٌ وَلَيْسَ كُلُّهَا يُجِيزُهَا الْقُضَاةُ عِنْدَنَا قَالَ فَإِذَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهَا حَقٌّ فَصَحِّحْهَا بِكُلِّ وَجْهٍ حَتَّى يَصِحَّ لَهُ حَقُّهُ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from certain persons of his people who has narrated the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I bear a testimony for one of our brothers but all of the judges around us do not grant it. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you know that it is right then you can correct it as such that can prove his right.’” 

4- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ فِي دَارِهِ ثُمَّ يَغِيبُ عَنْهَا ثَلاثِينَ سَنَةً وَيَدَعُ فِيهَا عِيَالَهُ ثُمَّ يَأْتِينَا هَلاكُهُ وَنَحْنُ لا نَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثَ فِي دَارِهِ وَلا نَدْرِي مَا حَدَثَ لَهُ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ إِلا أَنَّا لا نَعْلَمُ نَحْنُ أَنَّهُ أَحْدَثَ فِي دَارِهِ شَيْئاً وَلا حَدَثَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلا يُقْسَمُ هَذِهِ الدَّارُ بَيْنَ وَرَثَتِهِ الَّذِينَ تَرَكَ فِي الدَّارِ حَتَّى يَشْهَدَ شَاهِدَا عَدْلٍ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ دَارُ فُلانِ بْنِ فُلانٍ مَاتَ وَتَرَكَهَا مِيرَاثاً بَيْنَ فُلانٍ وَفُلانٍ أَفَنَشْهَدُ عَلَى هَذَا قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْعَبْدُ وَالأمَةُ فَيَقُولُ أَبَقَ غُلامِي وَأَبَقَتْ أَمَتِي فَيُوجَدُ فِي الْبَلَدِ فَيُكَلِّفُهُ الْقَاضِي الْبَيِّنَةَ أَنَّ هَذَا غُلامُ فُلانٍ لَمْ يَبِعْهُ وَلَمْ يَهَبْهُ أَفَنَشْهَدُ عَلَى هَذَا إِذَا كُلِّفْنَاهُ وَنَحْنُ لَمْ نَعْلَمْ أَحْدَثَ شَيْئاً قَالَ فَكُلَّمَا غَابَ مِنْ يَدِ الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ غُلامُهُ أَوْ أَمَتُهُ أَوْ غَابَ عَنْكَ لَمْ تَشْهَدْ عَلَيْهِ. 

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has a house and he remains absent from it for thirty years; but he leaves his family there, then news of his death comes. We do not know what may have happened in his house as well as to his children. We however, do not know of anything happening to his house and no birth of children has happened to him. This house is not divided among his heirs whom he had left in his house so that two just witnesses can testify that this house is the house of so and so son of so and so who has died and has left behind as legacy for so and so. Can we testify about it? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ I then said that a man has a slave and slave woman. He says that his slave has run away, his slave woman has run away and they are found in the town. The judge asks for proof that this is the slave of so and so whom he has not sold or gifted; if we can testify about it if we are asked and we do not know if anything has happened or not. He (the Imam) said, ‘Whatever goes out of the hands of a Muslim man, slave or slave woman or is absent from you, do not testify about it.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 5, Chapter 9