Women and Inheritance of Property

direct heirs [neither children nor parents] but has left a brother or a sister, they shall each inherit onesixth, but if they are more than two, they share onethird between them, after payment of any bequests or debts, so that no harm is done to anyone. That is a commandment from God: God is all-knowing and forbearing.” (4:12) In his English translation of the Quran, Abdullah Yusuf Ali notes: ‘The principles of inheritance law are laid down in broad outline in the Quran; the precise details have been worked out based on the Apostle’s practice and that of his Companions, and by interpretation and analogy. Muslim jurists have collected a vast amount of learning on this subject…’ Women also have a right to make a will the way men are given this right and on the very same condition as men: that not more than one-third of the property shall be bequeathed and that those who will inherit as heirs shall not be entitled to take under the bequest. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2744; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1628) It is a grave sin to devour the property of an orphan, and even more so if the orphan is a helpless girl. To protect the weaker sections of society, Islamic revelation has given particular emphasis to points that bring out the importance of giving due rights to these sections, including women.