Question
(#260)
Country : N/A
As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, My name is ….., and I am 40 years old. I live with my parents, brothers, and sisters in a house that is owned by my father. We are a family of five brothers and three sisters. I am the second eldest among the siblings. Three of us brothers are working and together we bear all the household expenses. The rest of the siblings are currently not employed. I humbly seek your guidance and request a fatwa on the following matters in light of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and Islamic jurisprudence: 1. Ownership of Property Purchased with Personal Earnings I have purchased a property entirely from my own halal income. No contributions—financial or otherwise—were made by my parents, brothers, or sisters. Question: When my father passes away and inheritance (taraka) is distributed, will this property be considered part of the inheritance, or will it remain solely my personal asset under Shariah? 2. Claim on Assets Before Distribution of Inheritance Some people claim that as long as inheritance among siblings has not yet been distributed, even personal purchases made from one’s own wealth are also considered part of the father’s inheritance. Question: Is there any basis for this in the Qur’an, Hadith, or Islamic law? 3. Financial Responsibility Towards Siblings Currently, I contribute financially to the family home. Question: According to Shariah, am I obliged to financially support my adult brothers and sisters? If they are minors, what does Islamic law say about my responsibility? 4. Marriage Expenses of Unmarried Siblings My father has previously paid for the marriage expenses of one or two of my brothers. Now that he is elderly (or in the case of his death), Question: Is it the responsibility of the married brothers to cover the marriage expenses of the unmarried brothers? Or should such expenses come from the inheritance, if any? I sincerely request a detailed fatwa based on the teachings of the Qur’an, Hadith.
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We have received your query regarding inheritance and other related matters, our response is as follows:
1) According to the Shari’ah, an individual has complete right over his wealth. Therefore, the property purchased with your personal funds for yourself will be considered solely your ownership, and it will not form part of the estate of your father (this is in the case wherein your father pre-deceases you).
2) Whatever is purchased with one’s personal money for oneself will not be included in one’s father’s estate.
3) It is the father’s responsibility to financially take care of his minor children. Adult daughters are also the responsibility of the father until marriage. Adult sons who are not incapacitated are not the responsibility of the father.
In the event that your father is unable to provide for his minor children and daughters due to poverty, old age and sickness etc., and your minor siblings or sisters do not possess wealth whereby they can cover their necessary expenses, then it is the responsibility of the siblings who do possess wealth, to support the minor siblings and their poor sisters until they are married or possess sufficient wealth.
This responsibility of the siblings will be in accordance with the laws of inheritance. In your case, if only three of you have an income, whilst the other three are dependent, then the expenses for the three siblings will be equally divided between all three working brothers.[1]
4) There are no expenses for a girl when she gets married. The husband will need to provide the Mahr (dowry) and Nafaqah (expenditure). Furthermore, the Walimah is from the husband’s side. As for the adult sons, he is responsible for giving his wife the Mahr and Walimah. However, it is extremely unfortunate that exorbitant amounts of money are wasted in marriages; there is no basis for this in Islam. For this reason, people feel that conducting marriages is so difficult. But in reality, it is extremely simple and easy. Thus, in conclusion, no responsibility lies on the father or the siblings regarding the marriages. [2]
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Answered by:
Muhammad Irshad Motara
15th Jumaadul Ula 1447
7th Nov 2025
[1] رد المحتار: ج ٣، ص ٦٢٣ و ٦٢٨ (سعيد)
أحسن الفتاوي: ج ٥، ص ٤٧١
فتاوى محمودية: ج ١٣، ص ٤٦٧ (فاروقية)
امداد الاحكام: ج ٢، ص ٨٩٨
[2] أحسن الفتاوي: ج ٥، ص ٤٦٣