Fatwa No : 84103
The procedure of distributing one’s estate during one’s lifetime

The procedure of distributing one’s estate during one’s lifetime

A man has two wives. From his first wife he has one daughter, and from his second marriage he has five children (two sons and three daughters). The man is still alive, but he is paralyzed sometimes in poor health and sometimes stable. If he wishes to distribute his estate during his lifetime, what is the procedure? And from his property, how much share will each person receive? Will both wives be entitled to equal shares or not? Kindly explain.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

Since the person mentioned in the question is still alive, the rules of inheritance do not apply to his property. However, every individual, during the period of sound health and before falling into a terminal illness, is the sole owner of his wealth and property, and he has the right to dispose of it in any manner he wishes. He is not obliged to distribute it during his lifetime. Accordingly, if the person in question, while being fully conscious and in sound health, without any coercion or compulsion, wishes to distribute his wealth and property among his family purely out of his own free will, then this is permissible in Shariah. Such a distribution is not considered inheritance but is termed a hiba (gift). The better and recommended method is that he should retain, according to a careful estimate, whatever he may need for the rest of his life, and then distribute the remaining wealth and property equally among his children and wives, giving each one formal ownership and possession of their share so that the hiba becomes valid and complete in Shariah. Merely registering names on papers is not sufficient. Furthermore, it is preferable that in such a gift and transfer he treats all of them equally, since they are all his children, without giving more to one and less to another. However, if he wishes to give someone a greater share due to service, need, or piety, then he is allowed to do so. But without a valid Shari reason, he must not deprive any heir completely of his property, for that would be sinful.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

ففي حاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار): (قوله: هو الإيجاب) و في خزانة الفتاوى: إذا دفع لابنه مالا فتصرف فيه الابن يكون للأب إلا إذا دلت دلالة التمليك بيري. (5/ 688)۔
و في الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته للزحيلي: لا خلاف بين جمهور العلماء في استحباب التسوية في العطاء بين الأولاد، وكراهة التفضيل بينهم في حال الصحة كما تقدم اھ (5/ 4012)۔
و فى الفتاوى الهندية: ولو وهب رجل شيئا لأولاده في الصحة وأراد تفضيل البعض على البعض (إلی قوله) لا بأس به إذا لم يقصد به الإضرار وإن قصد به الإضرار سوى بينهم يعطي الابنة مثل ما يعطي للابن وعليه الفتوى هكذا في فتاوى قاضي خان وهو المختار كذا في الظهيرية اھ (4/ 391)۔
كما في الدر المختار: (وتتم) الهبة (بالقبض) الكامل (ولو الموهوب شاغلا لملك الواهب لا مشغولا به) والأصل أن الموهوب إن مشغولا بملك الواهب منع تمامها، (5/ 690)۔