Does a non-Muslim inherit from his Muslim relative, and can a Muslim husband bequeath his estate to his wife only, excluding his non-Muslim heirs?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Non-Muslims do not inherit from a Muslim, based on the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "A disbeliever does not inherit from a Muslim." However, a Muslim is permitted to bequeath a portion of his wealth to them. The wife inherits one-fourth if the deceased has no children. What remains of the wealth after the wife's share goes to the nearest Muslim male agnate (asabah). If there are no Muslim agnates, the wealth reverts to the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal) or to the Muslim community. The wealth can be reserved for the wife exclusively through a complete and valid gift (hiba).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/65907
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 65907
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy