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 وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ وَصَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الْحَمِيلِ فَقَالَ وَأَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ الْحَمِيلُ قَالَ قُلْتُ الْمَرْأَةُ تُسْبَى مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَعَهَا الْوَلَدُ الصَّغِيرُ فَتَقُولُ هَذَا ابْنِي وَالرَّجُلُ يُسْبَى فَيَلْقَى أَخَاهُ فَيَقُولُ هُوَ أَخِي وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ إِلا قَوْلُهُمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ فَمَا يَقُولُ فِيهِمُ النَّاسُ عِنْدَكُمْ قُلْتُ لا يُوَرِّثُونَهُمْ لأنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ عَلَى وِلادَتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةٌ وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ وِلادَةُ الشِّرْكِ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ إِذَا جَاءَتْ بِابْنِهَا أَوْ ابْنَتِهَا وَلَمْ تَزَلْ مُقِرَّةً بِهِ وَإِذَا عَرَفَ أَخَاهُ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي صِحَّةٍ مِنْهُمَا وَلَمْ يَزَالا مُقِرَّيْنِ بِذَلِكَ وَرِثَ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr and Safwan ibn Yahya all from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of ( al-Hamil ) a child who is carried along. He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is al-Hamil (carried along)? 5 1 replied, ‘A woman is taken captive. With her, there is a small child. She says that he is her child. A man is taken as a captive. He meets his brother and says that this is my brother but there is no testimony except their words. 5 He (the Imam) asked, ‘What do people with you say about it? 5 I replied, ‘They do not give them any share of inheritance; they have no proof about their birth and it is birth in paganism. He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah is free of all defects, when she comes with her son or daughter, continues confirming their relationship and when he recognizes his brother, both of them are in good health and they continue confirming it; they must inherit from each other. 555 

2- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الأعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ حَمِيلَيْنِ جِي‏ءَ بِهِمَا مِنْ أَرْضِ الشِّرْكِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ أَنْتَ أَخِي فَعُرِفَا بِذَلِكَ ثُمَّ أُعْتِقَا وَمَكَثَا مُقِرَّيْنِ بِالإخَاءِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمَا مَاتَ فَقَالَ الْمِيرَاثُ لِلأخِ يُصَدَّقَانِ.

2. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from Sa‘id al-A‘raj who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of Hamilayn (two men) who are brought from the land of pagans, and one says to the other, ‘You are my brother. 5 They then recognize each other, then they are released and they continue confirming their relationship as brothers, then one of them dies. He (the Imam) said, ‘The legacy belongs to the brother and they must be considered truthful. 555 

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الْحَمِيلِ فَقَالَ وَأَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ الْحَمِيلُ فَقُلْتُ الْمَرْأَةُ تُسْبَى مِنْ أَرْضِهَا وَمَعَهَا الْوَلَدُ الصَّغِيرُ فَتَقُولُ هُوَ ابْنِي وَالرَّجُلُ يُسْبَى فَيَلْقَى أَخَاهُ فَيَقُولُ هُوَ أَخِي وَيَتَعَارَفَانِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُمَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ بَيِّنَةٌ إِلا قَوْلُهُمَا فَقَالَ مَا يَقُولُ مَنْ قِبَلَكُمْ قُلْتُ لا يُوَرِّثُونَهُمْ لأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بَيِّنَةٌ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ وِلادَةٌ فِي الشِّرْكِ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ إِذَا جَاءَتْ بِابْنِهَا أَوِ ابْنَتِهَا مَعَهَا وَلَمْ تَزَلْ بِهِ مُقِرَّةً وَإِذَا عَرَفَ أَخَاهُ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي صِحَّةٍ مِنْ عَقْلِهِمَا وَلا يَزَالانِ مُقِرَّيْنِ بِذَلِكَ وَرِثَ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ. 

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and a number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is al-Hamil (brought from other land). He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is al-Hamil ?  I then replied, ‘A woman is taken captive from her land. With her is a small child and she says that he is her son. A man is taken as a captive, who meets his brother and says that he is his brother. They recognize each other but they do not have any proof and testimony except their words. He (the Imam) then asked, ‘What do people with you say about it? 5 I replied, ‘They do not give them any share of inheritance; they have no proof about their birth and it is birth in paganism. 5 He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah is free of all defects, when she comes with her son or daughter, continues confirming their relationship and when he recognizes his brother, both of them are in good health and they continue confirming it; they must inherit from each other.  [Note: The next several passages of the Arabic text are words of al-Fadl and are not translated.] 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 7

Book 2, Chapter 59