1) Does a woman have a right to nominate her own executor (was’i) of her will? 2) Must the executors of a woman’s will be her husband/sons/ or other mahrams? 3) If the woman is a widow, and has 2 sons, do these 2 sons automatically become the executors of her will? Or does her nominated person take on this role? 4) If the 2 sons demand that the current executor give up his responsibilities, must he? 5) If a person gives up part of his inheritance to his sisters, is that money now considered theirs? 6) If after a couple of years the person demands the share that he gave up to be given back to him, must it? Or is money now the sisters?

Question:

1) Does a woman have a right to nominate her own executor (was’i) of her will?

2) Must the executors of a woman’s will be her husband/sons/ or other mahrams?

3) If the woman is a widow, and has 2 sons, do these 2 sons automatically become the executors of her will? Or does her nominated person take on this role?

4) If the 2 sons demand that the current executor give up his responsibilities, must he?

5) If a person gives up part of his inheritance to his sisters, is that money now considered theirs?

6) If after a couple of years the person demands the share that he gave up to be given back to him, must it? Or is money now the sisters?

Jazzakumu’Allahu Khayran,

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1) Yes, a woman has a right to nominate her own executor of her will.

 

وصية الحر العاقل رجلا كان أو امرأة جائزة ( الفتاوى الهندية: 6/111 )

 

2) No, it is not necessary.

 

3) No, her two sons will not automatically become the executors of her will. Her nominated executor will take on this role.

 

( والوصي أحق بمال اليتيم من الجد ) لأنه انتقلت ولاية الأب بالإيصاء إليه ، فكانت ولاية الأب قائمة حكما ، ولأن اختياره الوصي مع علمه بالجد دليل أن تصرفه أنظر من تصرف الجد فكان أولى إلخ ( الاختيار لتعليل المختار: 2/494 ، دار قبا )

 

4) The sons cannot force the executor to give up his responsibilities.

 

اعلم أن الأوصياء ثلاثة : أمين قادر على القيام بما أوصى إليه ، فإنه يقرر وليس للقاضي عزله لأن مقصود الموصي القيام بأموره وما أوصى إليه به ، فإذا حصل فتغييره إبطال لقصده فلا يجوز . وأمين عاجز فالقاضي يضم إليه من يعينه ، لأن الوصية إليه صحيحة لا يجوز إبطالها ، إلا أن في انفراده نوع خلل ببعض المقصود لعجزه فيضم إليه آخر تكميلا للمقصود . وفاسق أو كافر أو عبد فيجب عزله وإقامة غيره لأنه لا تصح نيابته ، لأن الميت إنما أوصى إليه معتمدا على رأيه وأمانته وكفايته في تصرفاته وهؤلاء ليسوا كذلك ( الاختيار لتعليل المختار: 2/492 ، دار قبا )

 

5,6) If you mean that the person received some money as inheritance and he gave part of it to his sisters, then the answer is that if the sisters took possession of the money, the money is now theirs and he cannot force the sisters to give the money back to him. If, however, the sisters did not take possession of the money, then they do not own the money; instead the money is still in the man’s ownership. (Fatawa Usmani: 3/440, 442, 460)

 

قال : ( ولا رجوع فيما يهبه لذي رحم محرم منه أو زوجة أو زوج ) لأن المقصود صلة الرحم وزيادة الألفة بين الزوجين ، وفي الرجوع قطيعة الرحم والألفة ، لأنها تورث الوحشة والنفرة فلا يجوز صيانة للرحم عن القطيعة وإبقاء للزوجية على الألفة والمودة وفي الحديث “إذا كانت الهبة لذي رحم محرم لم يرجع فيها” ( الاختيار لتعليل المختار: 2/60 ، دار قبا )

 

If you mean something else, then please clarify.

 

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
14/6/2012
Darul Ifta Australia
www.mufti-online.net

Answer approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Sherwood, South Africa
www.askimam.org
www.daruliftaa.net

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