The Islamic Law of Inheritance- Merits and Features
Students of the Qur’an would note one very striking difference in the space allotted to ‘religious’ injunctions and ‘social’ injunctions. While details of major and obligatory acts of worship like prayers, fasting, hajj and zakat have been left to the Prophet ﷺ to explain, social and familial norms and etiquettes have been elucidated in such fine detail that even exceptional cases have been elaborated in the Qur’an. One such important social injunction concerns the Law of Inheritance, a major part of which has been discussed in Surah anNisa’. Why is the Law of Inheritance Required? Greed is an important element of human personality. Man tends to amass all benefit for himself, even if he has to deprive others of their rightful share in the bargain. So when a person dies, it is the human tendency of every near and far relative, even acquaintances, to claim a lion’s share of the departed soul’s estate. This would necessarily result in pandemonium and strife, and it is for this