Sharia Compliant Wills: What You Need To Know

A Sharia compliant will provides a way for Muslims to make arrangements of their estate that satisfy the requirements of Islamic inheritance, whilst also complying with English law.

English and Welsh law allows individuals to have considerable freedom as to how they conduct their will. When someone dies without a valid will in place, English intestacy rules apply by default, which can directly conflict with Faraid.

As laid out in Qur’an, Faraid is the Islamic inheritance principle that obligates Muslims to leave two-thirds or more of their estate to their family.

Through verses of the Qur’an and Hadith, a formulaic method for determining the distribution of shares amongst relatives has been established, which involves fifteen classes of inheritors.

The remaining third, known as the Wasiyyah bequest, permits for up to one-third of an individual’s estate to be distributed as they wish, whether that be to friends, charity or other causes.

Navigating both religious principles and legal requirements can be complex, so having a professional with the necessary experience and knowledge is therefore beneficial.

Our Head of Private Client, Nosheen has both extensive experience in English succession law, and vast knowledge of Islamic law. Therefore, she can assist clients who wish to create wills that honour their faith and are fully valid and enforceable under English law. Nosheen is fluent in both Urdu and Punjabi, and where preferred, can offer home meetings, for a fee.

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