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 عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَتَوَارَثُ رَجُلانِ قَتَلَ أَحَدُهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Two people of whom one has killed the other cannot inherit each other.’” 

2- أَحْمَدُ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَتَلَ أُمَّهُ أَيَرِثُهَا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ ذُو رَحِمٍ قَتَلَ قَرِيبَهُ لَمْ يَرِثْهُ.

2. Al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id has narrated from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has killed his mother; if he can inherit her. He (the Imam) said, ‘I heard my father (a.s.), saying, “Whoever of the relatives kills one of his relatives he cannot inherit from that relative.’”” 

3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيْهِما السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَرِثُ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا قَتَلَ وَلَدَهُ أَوْ وَالِدَهُ وَلَكِنْ يَكُونُ الْمِيرَاثُ لِوَرَثَةِ الْقَاتِلِ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Hadid all from Jamil ibn Darraj who has narrated the following: “One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘A man who kills his son or father cannot inherit from him, but the legacy is for the heirs of the killer.’” 

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي رَجُلٍ قَتَلَ أُمَّهُ قَالَ لا يَرِثُهَا وَيُقْتَلُ بِهَا صَاغِراً وَلا أَظُنُّ قَتْلَهُ بِهَا كَفَّارَةً لِذَنْبِهِ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab fn abu ‘ Ubaydah who has narrated the following: “About the case of a man who kills his mother, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘He cannot inherit from her. Instead he is executed against his wishes and I do not think that his execution can remedy his sin.’” 

5- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ وَعَبْدِ اللهِ ابْنَيْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لا مِيرَاثَ لِلْقَاتِلِ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad and ‘Abd Allah sons of Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said that a murderer cannot receive inheritance.’” 

6- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ شَرِبَتْ دَوَاءً وَهِيَ حَامِلٌ وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِذَلِكَ زَوْجُهَا فَأَلْقَتْ وَلَدَهَا قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَظْمٌ وَقَدْ نَبَتَ عَلَيْهِ اللَّحْمُ عَلَيْهَا دِيَةٌ تُسَلِّمُهَا لأبِيهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ حِينَ طَرَحَتْهُ عَلَقَةً أَوْ مُضْغَةً فَإِنَّ عَلَيْهَا أَرْبَعِينَ دِينَاراً أَوْ غُرَّةً تُؤَدِّيهَا إِلَى أَبِيهِ قُلْتُ لَهُ فَهِيَ لا تَرِثُ وَلَدَهَا مِنْ دِيَتِهِ مَعَ أَبِيهِ قَالَ لا لأنَّهَا قَتَلَتْهُ فَلا تَرِثُهُ.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from ‘Ubaydah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a woman who takes medicine when pregnant without informing her husband, and miscarries her child. He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘If the child had grown bones and flesh then the wergild is due on her which she must pay to the father; but if the miscarriage takes place when the fetus has just formed or is an embryo she owes forty dinars or a slave to the father.’ I then asked, ‘Is it the case that she cannot inherit with the father?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She cannot inherit because she has killed the child, so she cannot inherit.’” 

7- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يُقْتَلُ الرَّجُلُ بِوَلَدِهِ إِذَا قَتَلَهُ وَيُقْتَلُ الْوَلَدُ بِوَالِدِهِ إِذَا قَتَلَ وَالِدَهُ وَلا يَرِثُ الرَّجُلُ أَبَاهُ إِذَا قَتَلَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ خَطَأً.

7. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from certain persons of his people from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from Fudayl ibn Yasar who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A man is not executed because of killing his son but a son is executed because of killing his father; and a man cannot inherit from his father after killing him even if it is by mistake.’” 

8- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْمَرْأَةُ تَرِثُ مِنْ دِيَةِ زَوْجِهَا وَيَرِثُ مِنْ دِيَتِهَا مَا لَمْ يَقْتُلْ أَحَدُهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ.

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu Najran from ‘Asem ibn Humayd from Muhammad ibn Qays who has narrated the following: “Abu Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘A woman inherits from the wergild of her husband and her husband inherits from the wergild of his wife as long as one of them does not kill the other partner.’” 

9- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَلْ لِلْمَرْأَةِ مِنْ دِيَةِ زَوْجِهَا وَهَلْ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ دِيَةِ امْرَأَتِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ مَا لَمْ يَقْتُلْ أَحَدُهُمَا الآخَرَ.

9. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Abd Allah ibn abu Ya’fur who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), if a woman can receive anything from the wergild of her husband or a man can receive anything from the wergild of his wife anything. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, they can do so as long as one of them does not kill the other partner.’” 

10- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا قَتَلَ الرَّجُلُ أَبَاهُ قُتِلَ بِهِ وَإِنْ قَتَلَهُ أَبُوهُ لَمْ يُقْتَلْ بِهِ وَلَمْ يَرِثْهُ. الْفَضْلُ بْنُ شَاذَانَ قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلا ضَرَبَ ابْنَهُ غَيْرَ مُسْرِفٍ فِي ذَلِكَ يُرِيدُ تَأْدِيبَهُ فَقُتِلَ الابْنُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الضَّرْبِ وَرِثَهُ الأبُ وَلَمْ تَلْزَمْهُ الْكَفَّارَةُ لأنَّ ذَلِكَ لِلأبِ لأنَّهُ مَأْمُورٌ بِتَأْدِيبِ وَلَدِهِ لأنَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الإمَامِ يُقِيمُ حَدّاً عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَمَاتَ فَلا دِيَةَ عَلَيْهِ وَلا يُسَمَّى الإمَامُ قَاتِلا وَإِنْ ضَرَبَهُ ضَرْباً مُسْرِفاً لَمْ يَرِثْهُ الأبُ فَإِنْ كَانَ بِالابْنِ جُرْحٌ أَوْ خُرَاجٌ فَبَطَّهُ الأبُ فَمَاتَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ بِقَاتِلٍ وَلا كَفَّارَةَ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ يَرِثُهُ لأنَّ هَذَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ الأدَبِ وَالاسْتِصْلاحِ وَالْحَاجَةِ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَإِلَى شِبْهِهِ مِنَ الْمُعَالَجَاتِ وَلَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلا كَانَ رَاكِباً عَلَى دَابَّةٍ فَأَوْطَأَتِ الدَّابَّةُ أَبَاهُ أَوْ أَخَاهُ فَمَاتَ لَمْ يَرِثْهُ وَلَوْ كَانَ يَسُوقُ الدَّابَّةَ أَوْ يَقُودُهَا فَوَطِئَتِ الدَّابَّةُ أَبَاهُ أَوْ أَخَاهُ فَمَاتَ وَرِثَهُ وَكَانَتِ الدِّيَةُ عَلَى عَاقِلَتِهِ لِغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْوَرَثَةِ وَلَمْ تَلْزَمْهُ الْكَفَّارَةُ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ حَفَرَ بِئْراً فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ أَوْ أَخْرَجَ كَنِيفاً أَوْ ظُلَّةً فَأَصَابَ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْهَا وَارِثاً لَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ لَمْ تَلْزَمْهُ الْكَفَّارَةُ وَكَانَتِ الدِّيَةُ عَلَى الْعَاقِلَةِ وَوَرِثَهُ لأنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ بِقَاتِلٍ أَلا تَرَى أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فِي حَقِّهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِقَاتِلٍ وَلا وَجَبَ فِي ذَلِكَ دِيَةٌ وَلا كَفَّارَةٌ فَإِخْرَاجُهُ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْ‏ءَ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ لَيْسَ هُوَ بِقَتْلٍ لأنَّ ذَلِكَ بِعَيْنِهِ يَكُونُ فِي حَقِّهِ فَلا يَكُونُ قَتْلا وَإِنَّمَا أُلْزِمَ الدِّيَةَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ احْتِيَاطاً لِلدِّمَاءِ وَلِئَلا يَبْطُلَ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ وَكَيْلا يَتَعَدَّى النَّاسُ حُقُوقَهُمْ إِلَى مَا لا حَقَّ لَهُمْ فِيهِ وَكَذَلِكَ الصَّبِيُّ وَالْمَجْنُونُ لَوْ قَتَلا لَوَرِثَا وَكَانَتِ الدِّيَةُ عَلَى الْعَاقِلَةِ وَالْقَاتِلُ يَحْجُبُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَرِثْ قَالَ وَلا يَرِثُ الْقَاتِلُ مِنَ الْمَالِ شَيْئاً لأنَّهُ إِنْ قَتَلَ عَمْداً فَقَدْ أَجْمَعُوا أَنَّهُ لا يَرِثُ وَإِنْ قَتَلَ خَطَأً فَكَيْفَ يَرِثُ وَهُوَ تُؤْخَذُ مِنْهُ الدِّيَةُ وَإِنَّمَا مُنِعَ الْقَاتِلُ مِنَ الْمِيرَاثِ احْتِيَاطاً لِدِمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَيْلا يَقْتُلَ أَهْلُ الْمِيرَاثِ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضاً طَمَعاً فِي الْمَوَارِيثِ. 

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one kills his father, he is executed for him; but if his father kills him the father is not executed for his son’s murder, however he cannot inherit from him.’” [Note: The next few passages of the Arabic text are the words of Fadl ibn Shadhan and are not translated.] 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 2, Chapter 36