Gifting

QUESTION:

A person passed away and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. The deceased kept some money at home which he regarded as both his and his wife’s to be used for household expenses. Does this money belong to the wife, or does it form part of the estate?

ANSWER:

Fuqaha have stated in the Kitaabs of Fiqh that when a person gives a gift to someone, it is necessary that possession of that gift must be taken in order for the gift to be complete. When your husband stated that this money is for both you and him, this was actually giving you half of that money as a gift. However, since you did not take possession of it, the gifting was not complete. Hence, you did not become the owner of the money. Rather, the money will fall as part of the estate and distributed to the respective heirs of the deceased according to the Islamic laws of succession.

وتتم الهبة بالقبض الكامل ولو الموهوب شاغلا لملك الواهب لا مشغولا به والأصل أن الموهوب مشغولا بملك الواهب منع تمامها وإن شاغلا لا فلو وهب جرابا فيه طعام الواهب أو دارا فيها متاعه أو دابة عليها سرجه وسلمها كذلك لا تصح (الدر المختار و حاشية ابن عابدين 5/690)

لو وهب مشاعا يقسم ثم قسمه وسلمه صح وملكه لان التمام بالقبض وعنده لا شيوع فأفاد أنه لو قبضه مشاعا لا يملكه فلا نفذ تصرفه فيه لانها هبة فاسدة مآلا وهي مضمونة بالقبض، ولا تفيد الملك للموهوب له وهو المختار فلو باعه الموهوب له لا يصح (البحر الرائق 7/487)

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

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani

Date: 14 Dhul Qa’dah 1446 / 13 May 2025

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb