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 وَحُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدٍ النَّرْسِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَرْقَدٍ صَاحِبِ السَّابِرِيِّ قَالَ أَوْصَى إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ بِتَرِكَتِهِ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَحُجَّ بِهَا عَنْهُ فَنَظَرْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَإِذَا شَيْ‏ءٌ يَسِيرٌ لا يَكْفِي لِلْحَجِّ فَسَأَلْتُ أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ وَفُقَهَاءَ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ فَقَالُوا تَصَدَّقْ بِهَا عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا حَجَجْتُ لَقِيتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ فِي الطَّوَافِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ وَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ رَجُلا مِنْ مَوَالِيكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ مَاتَ وَأَوْصَى بِتَرِكَتِهِ إِلَيَّ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَحُجَّ بِهَا عَنْهُ فَنَظَرْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ يَكْفِ لِلْحَجِّ فَسَأَلْتُ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ فَقَالُوا تَصَدَّقْ بِهَا فَتَصَدَّقْتُ بِهَا فَمَا تَقُولُ فَقَالَ لِي هَذَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي الْحِجْرِ فَأْتِهِ وَسَلْهُ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ الْحِجْرَ فَإِذَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَحْتَ الْمِيزَابِ مُقْبِلٌ بِوَجْهِهِ عَلَى الْبَيْتِ يَدْعُو ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَرَآنِي فَقَالَ مَا حَاجَتُكَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ مِنْ مَوَالِيكُمْ قَالَ فَدَعْ ذَا عَنْكَ حَاجَتُكَ قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مَاتَ وَأَوْصَى بِتَرِكَتِهِ أَنْ أَحُجَّ بِهَا عَنْهُ فَنَظَرْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ يَكْفِ لِلْحَجِّ فَسَأَلْتُ مَنْ عِنْدَنَا مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ فَقَالُوا تَصَدَّقْ بِهَا فَقَالَ مَا صَنَعْتَ قُلْتُ تَصَدَّقْتُ بِهَا فَقَالَ ضَمِنْتَ إِلا أَنْ يَكُونَ لا يَبْلُغُ أَنْ يُحَجَّ بِهِ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فَإِنْ كَانَ لا يَبْلُغُ أَنْ يُحَجَّ بِهِ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ ضَمَانٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَبْلُغُ بِهِ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فَأَنْتَ ضَامِنٌ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from bud Allah ibn Ahmad all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Zayd al-Narsiy from Ali ibn Farqad Sahib al-Sabiriy who has narrated the following: “A man made a will and asked me to pay for al-Hajj from his legacy, but when I examined his legacy it was not sufficient. I then asked abu Hanifah and the jurists of al-Kufah. They said that I must give as charity on his behalf. When I performed al-Hajj, I met ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan during tawaf. I asked him, saying, ‘A man of your followers of the people of al-Kufah has died and has made a will in which he has asked me to perform al-Hajj for him from his legacy, but when I examined his legacy, it is not sufficient for al-Hajj and I asked the jurist in our area. They said that I must pay charity for him and I did so. What do you say about it?’ He said, ‘This is Ja‘far ibn Muhammad in al-Hijr. Go and ask him.’ I went in al-Hijr and found abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), under al-Mizab facing the house and praying. He (the Imam) turned to me, saw me and asked, ‘What do you need?’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I am a man from al-Kufah of your friends.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Leave it. What do you need?’ I then said, ‘A man has died and has made a will that al- Hajj must be performed from his legacy. I examined it and it is not sufficient for al-Hajj. I then asked the jurists about it in our area. They said that I must pay charity on his behalf.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘What did you do with it?’ I replied, ‘I gave it in charity.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You are responsible, unless it was not sufficient even for performing al-Hajj from Makkah, but if it was sufficient for performing al-Hajj from Makkah, then you are responsible.’” 

2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَوْصَى بِحَجَّةٍ فَجَعَلَهَا وَصِيُّهُ فِي نَسَمَةٍ فَقَالَ يَغْرَمُهَا وَصِيُّهُ وَيَجْعَلُهَا فِي حَجَّةٍ كَمَا أَوْصَى بِهِ فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ فَمَنْ بَدَّلَهُ بَعْدَ ما سَمِعَهُ فَإِنَّما إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ibn Muskan from abu Sa‘id who has narrated the following: “Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who made a will for al- Hajj but the executor of his will spent it to set free an enslaved soul. He (the Imam) said, ‘The executor of the will is responsible to pay for his al-Hajj as the will required. Allah, most Blessed, most High, has said, ‘Whoever intentionally changes the will of a deceased person, he has committed a sin. Allah is All-hearing and All-knowing.’ (2:181)” 

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَارِدٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَوْصَى إِلَى رَجُلٍ وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ عَنْهُ نَسَمَةً بِسِتِّمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ مِنْ ثُلُثِهِ فَانْطَلَقَ الْوَصِيُّ فَأَعْطَى السِّتَّمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ رَجُلا يَحُجُّ بِهَا عَنْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَرَى أَنْ يَغْرَمَ الْوَصِيُّ مِنْ مَالِهِ سِتَّمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَيَجْعَلَ السِّتَّمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فِيمَا أَوْصَى بِهِ الْمَيِّتُ مِنْ نَسَمَةٍ. 

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn Marid who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who made a will to set free a slave for six hundred dirham but the executor of his will gave six hundred dirham to perform al-Hajj for the deceased. He (the Imam) said, ‘As I see the executor of the will must pay six hundred dirham from his own assets to set free a slave for the deceased.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 1, Chapter 15