A woman’s right to inheritance in Islam

(Department of Journalism, Punjab University Lahore)

Social change is needed to give women rights to inheritance, education, health, and equality. They should participate fully in the society in terms of their proportion so that their relationship is established with the whole social system. The right to inheritance is the basic right of a woman.

Even in today’s advanced age, majority of women do not get their rightful share of inheritance. Those who carelessly or intentionally deprive a woman of her right to inherit and are going towards forbidden wealth, they should avoid this sin.

During the period of Jahiliyyah, the Arabs were divided into different tribes and classes. Children and women had no share in their inheritance. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) put an end to polytheism and disbelief and reformed all other false customs, detailed orders were also revealed regarding the property of orphans and the rights and inheritance of women.

If we examine the different civilizations and societies of the world before Islam and try to recognize the status of women, then we come to the conclusion that women were very oppressed and deprived of social and social respect. He was considered the cause of all evils and detestable. In the civilizations and cultures of the Greeks, Romans, Iranians and the Jahiliyyah era, women were given a secondary status.

In fact, a clear concept of woman’s dignity, respect and her right status is not seen anywhere except in Islam. Islam has removed the woman from the limited circle of different ideas and concepts as a human being and gave her equal status with men. Since the practice of the times was to neglect women in inheritance, therefore Allah Almighty mentioned the rights of women in the Holy Qur’an.

One of the great favors among them is that Islam has given women the right to inheritance. Legacy is the wealth that the deceased leaves behind.

Islam gave great honor to women by assigning a share of inheritance to women just like men. In the era of Jahiliyyah, women were deprived of the right to inherit, but they themselves were the object of inheritance. Arab people also considered women as part of their inheritance, which is prohibited by the Quran. It is stated in the Holy Quran that:

Translation: “Believers! It is not halal for you to forcibly inherit women. [النساء :۱۹]

One of the main reasons for depriving women of inheritance in society is ignorance of the importance of paying inheritance and the sin of non-payment. Religious scholars and the religious community should be especially aware of this. People should be told how severe punishment is promised in the Holy Quran for those who do not pay the right of heirs.

Some people find their means in the law of the land. It is stated in the Holy Quran: Translation: These are the limits set by Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah will admit him to gardens under which rivers flow, and he will remain in those gardens forever, and that is a great success.

And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and transgresses the limits set by Him, Allah will cast him into the Fire, wherein he will abide forever, and for him is a shameful punishment. [سورہ النساء :۱۳،۱۴]

If a woman’s right to inheritance is in the possession of a man, then it is with him as a trust, then whether the woman is a sister, a daughter, a mother or a wife, betrayal can be avoided only by conveying this trust to the woman. Is. In this regard, it is said in the Holy Qur’an: Translation: Allah Almighty orders you to convey the trusts of the faithful to them.[النساء :۵۸]

Some people consider women to be subservient to men and are not convinced of giving women the right of ownership in any place. While it has been said in the Holy Quran that: Translation: “O you who believe! Do not consume your own wealth by unlawful means. [النساء :۲۹] In this verse, the husband is also prohibited from spending his wife’s property without permission and this makes the right of ownership of the woman clear.

The law of inheritance of Islam is not based on the right of women, but on the concept of establishing a good society and economy. A woman’s share is the unit of inheritance, consider this saying of Allah Ta’ala: Translation: “A boy will get a share equal to two girls.” [النساء :۱۱] A consideration of the words of the aforesaid verse clarifies the basic scale of inheritance.

Here, while describing the inheritance of men and women, the woman’s share was declared as a unit that the share of one man is equal to the share of two women.

It was not said that a woman’s share is equal to half of a man’s share, but in the system of divided inheritance, the woman’s share was made the basis and basis and then it was made the unit for determining all the shares. As if the whole system of distribution of inheritance revolves around the unit of the share of the woman, which is actually a manifestation of the declaration of respect and dignity of the woman.

Secondly, the reason why a woman’s share in inheritance is half that of a man is that a woman has the rights of alimony and mahr, which a man is deprived of. The maintenance of a woman is not only obligatory on her husband, but in the absence of a husband, her maintenance is obligatory on her father, brother, son or other guardians.

Similarly, in another place, the discriminatory law of Islam against the practices of Jahiliyya is described in the Holy Qur’an as follows: “For men is a share in the wealth left by parents and near relatives, and for women also There is a share in the wealth left by parents and close relatives, whether it is little or much, and this share is fixed (by Allah). [النساء : ۷]

All these references show that no one can negate the rights that Allah has reserved for any creature. The remedy is that Muslims, especially women, acquire religious knowledge, live with insight, it is the duty of every Muslim man and woman to acquire the basic knowledge of religion, the legacy belongs to every Muslim.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the scholars to convey its knowledge to the people. It should be discussed in Friday sermons, lessons, gatherings, religious gatherings, private gatherings, public gatherings and social media.

So that people understand its importance. It is necessary for people to find out the problem from the people of knowledge instead of arbitrarily regarding the inheritance and distribute the inheritance in the light of this, and fear Allah. So avoid all kinds of haram wealth and remember that happiness, success and paradise in this world and the hereafter will be given to those who follow the path of goodness and avoid sins.

May Allah grant us all the ability to follow the Shari’ah in the distribution of inheritance, and protect us from ill-gotten gains and its evil, so that women can get their right to inherit and live a happy life. (Amen)