Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنِ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ اَلْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فِي رَجُلٍ تَرَكَ خَالَتَيْهِ وَ مَوَالِيَهُ قَالَ " "أُولُوا اَلْأَرْحٰامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلىٰ بِبَعْضٍ" اَلْمَالُ بَيْنَ اَلْخَالَتَيْنِ".

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa narrated from Muhammad ibn Sahl, from Al-Hasan ibn Al-Hakam, from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that he said regarding a man who left behind two maternal aunts and his freed slaves: "Those who are related by blood are more entitled to inherit from each other." The wealth is to be divided between the two maternal aunts.

وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ يَقْطِينٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ وَ يَدَعُ أُخْتَهُ وَ مَوَالِيَهُ قَالَ "اَلْمَالُ لِأُخْتِهِ".

Ali ibn Yaqteen asked Abu Al-Hasan (a.s) about a man who dies and leaves behind his sister and his freed slaves. Imam (a.s) said: "The wealth belongs to his sister."

وَ مَتَى تَرَكَ الرَّجُلُ ذَا رَحِمٍ مَنْ كَانَ ذَكَراً كَانَ أَوْ أُنْثَى ابْنَةَ أُخْتٍ أَوِ ابْنَةَ ابْنَةٍ أَوِ ابْنَةَ خَالٍ أَوِ ابْنَةَ خَالَةٍ أَوِ ابْنَةَ عَمٍّ أَوِ ابْنَةَ عَمَّةٍ أَوْ أَبْعَدَ مِنْهُمْ فَالْمَالُ كُلُّهُ لِذَوِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَ إِنْ سَفَلُوا وَ لَا يَرِثُ الْمَوَالِي مَعَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئاً لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَدْ ذَكَرَهُمْ وَ فَرَضَ لَهُمْ وَ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُمْ أَوْلَى فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أُولُوا الْأَرْحامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلى بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتابِ اللَّهِ وَ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الْمَوَالِيَ.

And whenever a man leaves behind a blood relative - whether male or female - such as the daughter of his sister, the daughter of his daughter, the daughter of his maternal uncle, the daughter of his maternal aunt, the daughter of his paternal uncle, the daughter of his paternal aunt, or anyone more distantly related than them, all of the wealth belongs entirely to the blood relatives, even if they are distant. The freed slaves do not inherit anything alongside any of them because Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, has mentioned the blood relatives, prescribed their share, and informed that they are more entitled in His (swt) saying: "Those who are related by blood are more entitled to inherit from each other in the Book of Allah (swt)," (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:6) and He (swt) did not mention the freed slaves.

وَ قَدْ رَوَى جَابِرٌ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَنَّ عَلِيّاً عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كَانَ يُعْطِي أُولِي اَلْأَرْحَامِ دُونَ اَلْمَوَالِي".

Jabir narrated from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that: "Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) used to give inheritance to the blood relatives over the freed slaves."

فَأَمَّا اَلْحَدِيثُ اَلَّذِي رَوَاهُ اَلْمُخَالِفُونَ: أَنَّ مَوْلًى لِحَمْزَةَ تُوُفِّيَ وَ أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ أَعْطَى اِبْنَةَ حَمْزَةَ اَلنِّصْفَ وَ أَعْطَى اَلْمَوَالِيَ اَلنِّصْفَ. فَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ مُنْقَطِعٌ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَدَّادٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص وَ هُوَ مُرْسَلٌ وَ لَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ شَيْئاً قَبْلَ نُزُولِ الْفَرَائِضِ فَنُسِخَ فَقَدْ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِلْحُلَفَاءِ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ وَ الَّذِينَ عَقَدَتْ أَيْمانُكُمْ فَآتُوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ وَ لَكِنَّهُ نَسَخَ ذَلِكَ بِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أُولُوا الْأَرْحامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلى بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتابِ اللَّهِ وَ رُوِيَ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّخَعِيَ كَانَ يُنْكِرُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فِي مِيرَاثِ مَوْلَى حَمْزَةَ وَ الصَّحِيحُ مِنْ هَذَا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ دُونَ الْحَدِيثِ.

As for the narration reported by the opponents - that a freed slave of Hamza passed away and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) gave half of the inheritance to the daughter of Hamza and half to the freed slaves - this is a disconnected narration. It is only reported from Abdullah ibn Shaddad from the Prophet (a.s), and it is a mursal (incomplete) narration. Perhaps this incident occurred before the revelation of the laws of inheritance and was later abrogated. Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, had prescribed shares for allies in His Book, saying: "And those with whom you have made a pledge, give them their due share," (Surah An-Nisa 4:33) but He (swt) abrogated that with His (swt) saying: "Those who are related by blood are more entitled to inherit from each other in the Book of Allah (swt)." (Surah Al-Anfal 8:75) It has also been reported that Ibrahim Al-Nakha'i used to reject this narration concerning the inheritance of Hamza's freed slave. What is correct in this matter is the Book of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, not the narration.

وَ رَوَوْا عَنْ حَنَانٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِساً عِنْدَ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ غَفَلَةَ: فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ اِبْنَةٍ وَ اِمْرَأَةٍ وَ مَوَالٍ فَقَالَ أُخْبِرُكَ فِيهَا بِقَضَاءِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ جَعَلَ "لِلاِبْنَةِ اَلنِّصْفَ وَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ اَلثُّمُنَ" وَ رَدَّ مَا بَقِيَ عَلَى اَلاِبْنَةِ وَ لَمْ يُعْطِ اَلْمَوَالِيَ شَيْئاً.

They narrated from Hanan who said: I was sitting with Suwayd ibn Ghafalah when a man came to him and asked about the inheritance of a daughter, a wife, and freed slaves. Suwayd said: "I will inform you of the ruling of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) regarding this matter. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) allocated half of the inheritance to the daughter and one-eighth to the wife, and Imam (a.s) returned what remained to the daughter, giving nothing to the freed slaves."