Question
One of the heirs was the wife of the deceased. Before the estate was finalized, she died. She was from a village in India. What should be done with her share of inheritance?
Answer
It is almost certain that the deceased wife did have some relatives who were her heirs. Separate her share and keep it as an Amaanat. Meanwhile exhaust all efforts to locate her heirs. Her village in India must surely be known. It is Waajib to make enquiries in the village. With effort, Insha-Allah, information regarding her heirs will surface.
Assuming that you are unable to locate any of her heirs, then her share has to be retained in trust for a couple of years until all hope is lost about locating her heirs. Then the money has to be given as Sadqah to the Fuqara.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 27 No 08
- PDF page
- 8
Appears under HASAD-ENVY (approximate).