Salaam Mr Rashdi,

Yes, I totally agree with you that individuals have the God given right to distribute their wealth as they please during their lifetimes and I also understand that laws of inheritance are triggered only when an individual has passed away.

Thus my question isn’t about what liberties an individual enjoys while distributing his wealth during his lifetime or what he puts down in his will while he is alive. On the contrary my question circles around the devine laws of inheritance laid down by Allah Himself when that individual creases to exist. When one looks at those laws through the lens of a female mind one invariably arrives at the conclusion that females have been dealt a shorthand by none other Almighty.

Salaam Mr Jalal

I watched all video links you sent. A bundle of thanks for the effort. May Allah reward you for this gesture. However, none of the videos addresses any one of the questions I raised.

The main focus, or rather the only focus, of the videos you sent me is to help muslims understand how to mathematically calculate and evaluate the portions of inheritance in question . Although extremely informative it doesn’t resolve any of my confusions. My problem isn’t about which mathematical algorithm to use to calculate the portions of inheritance. My questions are about trying to make sense of the wisdom of the edicts laid down by Allah regarding inheritance.

As I said earlier these questions have bothered me for years . I would be much obliged if some team member can put my mind at peace regarding my queries.

Warm Regards

Yes Mr Minhas as you correctly pointed out the responsibility of provisions , fundamentally , rests with the husband. But only when we speak retrospectively.

We all know that Quran was revealed onto a primitive tribal community whose social fabric held almost no resemblance with the progressive and ever evolving societies of the modern world. We do not live in the times of tribal Patriarchy and draconian rules in which it was men’s staple diet to consider women imbaceel and surplus to requirements and because of the social conditioning their attitudes towards women were mostly condecending . Sadly back in the day women had no voice. They were just a bunch of sycophants whose primary life goal was to please the men in their families because they felt so vulnerable and dependant on those men in the violent male dominated tribal set up that they thought their very survival depended on appeasing those men.

However, today’s woman is fiercely confident and independent. She has spread her tentacles far and wide. She is an integral part of the work force. She is making massive waves. Most women these days don’t get married because they need a man in their lives. They get married because they want a man. The dynamics of the currents times are very different ( I do not know much about the indian subcontinent. Maybe it’s not that evolved yet).

So I am sure you will not disagree with me entirely when I say that your stance in husband/wife dynamic is a gross over simplification of the conundrum at hand . In any case, as you can see, my queries don’t revolve around husband/wife inheritance only.

Regardless, in the present times It’s the need of the hour that both spouses work to support their family because the financial demands of the times are humongous and beyond the capacity of one person. So obviously good and supportive wives work hand in glove with their husbands to support the household . Any person worth his salt knows that the recipe for success in a marriage isn’t about determining fixed roles, duties, subordination , obedience, authority, superiority or privileges. It’s all about being there for eachother and working as a unit towards attaining common objectives of success and happiness.

By extention my point is that in this day and age we can’t use “cookie cutter ” approach for all women of this era. Yet the devine Laws of Inheritance are very inflexible and unbending…………. or are they???

“Materialism is a philosophical concept according to which matter is all that exists. By extension it denies the existence of God. I think that God encouraging materialism is an oxymoron.”

I stand corrected, Mr Haroon

“One has to understand their role in the world in accordance with God’s scheme. Once it is understood, there should not be any confusion regarding it being completely just”

I believe that’s exactly what I am requesting this forum to help me achieve. As I said earlier on this forum I am desperately trying to reconnect with God. However, I cannot understand anything by someone merely telling me to understand. But thank you all the same for your sincere advice.

“God or Islam can’t blamed for people’s own lack of effort”

Fair point

“The picture of women that you have painted at the time of the revelation of the Quran is actually far gloomier than what’s evident from the history. We know from history that women at the time were involved in businesses, took part in wars, worked in the fields, and married according to their own choice.”

This is a pleasant surprise for me

“in fact I would go as far as saying that women are favored in this scheme.”

I would really appreciate if you explain “how” part of your statement .

There are some questions which have most likely escaped your attention. I would appreciate if you find time to help me understand those too.

This:

So can we then safely assume that the sole purpose of Islamic Inheritance Laws is to reward the beneficiary for their benefiting services to the deceased?

this:

– Mr Ghamdi often says a daughter’s share is half because her marfa’at is transferred to her husband’s family after marriage because she looks after her husband and his parents. But my question is that if her marfa’at is towards her in-laws then why isn’t she entitled to get a share of her father- in – law’s and mother – in – law’s inheritance? Infact her entitlement even in her husband’s assets is only 1/8 if there are children and 1/4 if none!! She carrys his children in her womb for 9 months in great pain. She gives birth to his children in great pain. She raises his children which is one of the most difficult task on earth and men are not capable of that. In many instances she takes care of his parents ( which is not her religious obligation) . She takes care of the house and of the husband himself. Yet these massive contributions of a wife are totally disregarded by Allah in his defined laws of inheritance . Her contributions are regarded so insignificant that her entitlement in his inheritance is next to nothing. On the other hand for providing for her financially he is entitled to 1/4 of his wife’s inheritance if there are kids involved and 1/2 if there are no kids even though it’s the woman who struggles financially (if she is not a working woman) after the death of her husband not vice versa.

this:

– Moreover, in the absence of a brother a girl gets only one half of the inheritance and the rest goes to the relatives who in real life might have never contributed even £1 towards the marfa’at upon which they will claim the remaining half. Why?

this:

Why do fathers get 2/3rd of the share in the absence of children. If the reason is that in the absence of children the father becomes financially responsible for his wife then why is this very situation overlooked by Allah in the case of a widow where she has to raise her orphaned children. She is entitled to only 1/8th. Why?

And finally this:

– If a daughter’s share is half because her marfa’at is transferred to her husband’s house after marriage then why is the share half of a son’s even if she is unmarried.

May God reward you for this.

OMG this video is a life saver! A billion thanks Mr Sadiq. I wish someone had sent me this link earlier. I feel so elated because this video has answered the question that has been haunting me for years , which was ” why does Islamic Law of Inheritance not take into consideration the changing times and ever evolving dynamics of societies”

BUT IT DOES!!!!!! IT DOES!!!!!!!!!

I can now finally put this topic to rest because all related questions too now fall into place perfectly.

God is indeed kind and Merciful.

May God reward you tremendously for this effort. Ameen

Salaam Mr Haroon,

I believe the video Mr Sadiq sent me has answered my main question and by extension other questions automatically resove. Thus I can now put this topic to rest finally.

However thank you for your effort. May God reward you.

And Mr Jalal a bundle of thanks for your efforts too ofcourse. May God reward you

Thank you so much for your guidance Mr Haroon. Much appreciated. I will certainly try and get a copy of Muhammad Asad’s translation of the Qur’an and read it cover to cover and make notes as you suggested (IA).

And thank you too for guiding me regarding the structure and parameters to follow when posting questions on this forum.

Henceforth I will be mindfull of the fact that I am allowed to post only one question per post.