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- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَيْسَ يَتْبَعُ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ مِنَ الأجْرِ إِلا ثَلاثُ خِصَالٍ صَدَقَةٌ أَجْرَاهَا فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَهِيَ تَجْرِي بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَسُنَّةُ هُدًى سَنَّهَا فَهِيَ يُعْمَلُ بِهَا بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Mansur from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing of the rewards follow a deceased after his death except three qualities: A charity that he established in his lifetime, it continues after his death; a Sunnah of guidance that he established upon which people act after his death; or a virtuous child who prays for him.’” 

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَيْسَ يَتْبَعُ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ مِنَ الأجْرِ إِلا ثَلاثُ خِصَالٍ صَدَقَةٌ أَجْرَاهَا فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَهِيَ تَجْرِي بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَصَدَقَةٌ مَبْتُولَةٌ لا تُورَثُ أَوْ سُنَّةُ هُدًى يُعْمَلُ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ أَوْ وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ. مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ إِلا أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَوْ وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing follows a deceased after his death except three things: a charity that Allah has made to function in his lifetime which continues after his death, a Sunnah of guidance that one establishes which is acted upon after his death and virtuous children who pray for him.’” Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan from ibn Muskan from Muhammad al-Halabiy from abu ‘Abd Allah, a similar Hadith except that he (the Imam) said, ‘or a child who asks forgiveness for him/” 

3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَتْبَعُ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلا ثَلاثُ خِصَالٍ صَدَقَةٌ أَجْرَاهَا للهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَهِيَ تَجْرِي لَهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَسُنَّةُ هُدًى سَنَّهَا فَهِيَ يُعْمَلُ بِهَا بَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ وَوَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing follows a deceased after his death except three things: a charity that Allah has made to function in his life time which continues after his death, a Sunnah of guidance that one establishes which is acted upon after his death and virtuous children who pray for him.’” 

4- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا يَلْحَقُ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ فَقَالَ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا يُعْمَلُ بِهَا بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ فَيَكُونُ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْتَقِصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ الْجَارِيَةُ تَجْرِي مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَالْوَلَدُ الصَّالِحُ يَدْعُو لِوَالِدَيْهِ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِمَا وَيَحُجُّ وَيَتَصَدَّقُ عَنْهُمَا وَيُعْتِقُ وَيَصُومُ وَيُصَلِّي عَنْهُمَا فَقُلْتُ أُشْرِكُهُمَا فِي حَجِّي قَالَ نَعَمْ.

4. Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about things that follow a deceased after his death. He (the Imam) said, ‘Of the things that follow a deceased after his death is his establishing a Sunnah of guidance which is acted upon after his death. He receives a reward just like the reward received by the one who has acted accordingly without any reduction in the reward of any one of them. Another issue is a perpetual charity that functions after his death, and a virtuous child who prays for his parents after their death, performs al-Hajj, gives charity on their behalf after their death, sets free slaves, fasts and performs Salat (prayer) on their behalf/ I then asked if I can share my al-Hajj with them. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so/” 

5- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي كَهْمَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سِتَّةٌ تَلْحَقُ الْمُؤْمِنَ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ وَلَدٌ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ وَمُصْحَفٌ يُخَلِّفُهُ وَغَرْسٌ يَغْرِسُهُ وَقَلِيبٌ يَحْفِرُهُ وَصَدَقَةٌ يُجْرِيهَا وَسُنَّةٌ يُؤْخَذُ بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ. 

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Ya‘qub ibn Yazid from Muhammad ibn Shu’ayb from abu Kahmas who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Six things follow a believing deceased after his death: a child that asks forgiveness for him, a book that he leaves behind, a plantation that he plants, a well that he digs, a charity that he establishes and a Sunnah which is acted upon after his death/” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 1, Chapter 36