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What is the ruling of the Sharia regarding the distribution of the inheritance of a deceased person from 1990, who left behind a wife, four daughters, a paternal cousin, and a single house, where the house was divided after the wife's death in 1995 according to government law and not Islamic legislation among the four daughters?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the deceased's paternal cousin is an heir (a full paternal cousin or a paternal cousin through the father's side), he has a share in the house. Similarly, the deceased wife's share is divided among her legal heirs. If the inheritance was distributed in a manner that contradicts Islamic law without reconciliation or mutual consent among the heirs, that distribution is not valid. The heirs must resort to Islamic law, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full] submission.﴾ [An-Nisa': 65]. Allah Almighty Himself has clarified the shares of the heirs, and these are His boundaries. He has threatened those who transgress them with Hellfire and a painful torment, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits - He will put him into Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.﴾ [An-Nisa': 14]. We advise the heirs to fear Allah and to re-divide the house according to the lawful Islamic division.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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