Bequest From A Mentally Ill Individual

I have some questions regarding an Aaqil Baaligh person when it comes to inheritance, Wasiyat:

Q1) Who determines whether a person is considered ‘Aaqil Baaligh’? Is it based purely on physical maturity, or are mental and psychological conditions taken into account too? 

A1) A person cannot be considered Aaqil (intellectually sound) if his mental state is not sound as per the definitions placed by the Fuqaha.

Q2) Do conditions such as bipolar disorder, autism, or dissociative identity disorder (split personality) affect whether a person is regarded as ‘Aaqil Baaligh’ in Shar‘i terms? 

A2) In Shari’ah, complete and encompassing madness is the only type of madness taken in to consideration in most rulings. The severity of the mental illness and the duration of suffering would need to be examined individually to pass the Shar’i ruling of an individual being non-Aqil. The preferred view in the Hanafi Madhab is a minimum period of one year of madness which deems a person mentally unfit. 

Q3)  If a person experiences an “episode”, for example, a mental health episode affecting their awareness or control and they say R5000 must go to so and so person, are their statements and actions during that time taken seriously? Should the Wasiyat be carried out?

A3) I⁠n the event that an individual has been deemed mentally ill by a Mufti based on Shari definitions and medical diagnosis, his bequest will be invalid.

 فأما المجنون فإنه يمنع عنه ماله مادام مجنونا، وكذلك الصبي الذي لا يعقل؛ لأن وضع المال في يد من لا عقل له إتلاف المال

 البدائع الصنائع ج7, ص 170

 (سببها) ما هو (سبب التبرعات، وشرائطها كون الموصي أهلا للتمليك) فلم تجز من صغير أو مجنون ومكاتب، إلا إذا أضاف لعتقه كما سيجئ.

 الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار ج 1 , ص 732 

 وَلَوْ جُنَّ الْعَبْدُ جُنُونًا مُطْبِقًا صَارَ مَحْجُورًا عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ أَفَاقَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَا يَعُودُ إذْنُهُ كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُطْبِقًا بِأَنْ كَانَ يُجَنُّ وَيُفْتِقُ لَا يَنْحَجِرُ ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي تَحْدِيدِ الْجُنُونِ الْمُطْبِقِ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – إذَا كَانَ الْجُنُونُ دُونَ الشَّهْرِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُطْبِقٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ شَهْرًا فَصَاعِدًا فَهُوَ مُطْبِقٌ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ مَا دُونَ السَّنَةِ لَيْسَ بِمُطْبِقٍ وَالسَّنَةُ وَمَا فَوْقَهَا فَهُوَ مُطْبِقٌ كَذَا فِي الْمُغْنِي. 

الفتاوى الهندية ج 5 , ص 87 

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abrar Ahmad Motala

Date: 17 Dhul Qa’dah 1447 / 06 May 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb