Sunni · Compare this tradition with another

Can a Muslim inherit or accept a bequest from a non-Muslim?

no name given · Jamiatul Ulama KZN – Council of Muslim Theologians (Suedafrika) · 2026-09-29 · Durban · Source

In a secular state, Muslims may accept inheritances and testamentary dispositions from non-Muslims without the Islamic one-third limitation, while they themselves remain bound by the Islamic inheritance law order when distributing their own estate.

In a secular state, such as South Africa, the above ruling does not apply. Therefore, if a non-Muslim dies and is survived by Muslim heirs, it is permissible for the Muslim heirs of the deceased to inherit from his/her estate.

The text is an Islamic legal fatwa from South Africa on the question of whether Muslims may accept inheritances or testamentary dispositions from non-Muslims. It distinguishes between an Islamic state and a secular state such as South Africa. In an Islamic state, it is not permissible for Muslim heirs to inherit from the estate of a non-Muslim. In a secular state, this restriction does not apply, because Islamic laws do not bind non-Muslims there. A testamentary disposition by a non-Muslim in favour of a Muslim may be accepted without the limitation to one-third of the estate. Conversely, Muslims are obliged to adhere to the Islamic inheritance law order. A Muslim may not make a non-Muslim an heir and may not bequeath more than one-third of his estate to a non-Muslim. It is described as obligatory to sign an Islamically compliant will in non-Muslim states.

What, according to this text, is the root of the evil?

Ignorance, illusion, a false view of reality (inferred)

Where does the evil reside?

in the economy, politics, or social structures

What helps against it?

keeping the commandments, maintaining order, fulfiling one's duties; insight, learning, enlightenment, right understanding

What is human being according to this text?

willed by God, with a task and a responsibility

Where is history heading?

the message stands outside of history

What does the text base its claim on?

on the founder or prophet of the tradition; on tradition, the fathers, an established practice

To whom does the text's call for devotion apply?

to one's own fellow believers

Where is the text's criticism directed?

at one's own community and at oneself

• ein islamkonformes Testament unterzeichnen (social)
• sich an die islamischen Gesetze der Nachfolge halten (interpersonal)

Sunan Tirmidhi

Basic stance

0 from -2 to 2

Insistence

1 of 3

Reach

3 of 5

Concreteness

3 of 3

Boundary

2 of 3, named: Nicht-Muslime

Time

past 1, present 3, future 1

Analysed with qwen3.8-27b, version v3. The same standards apply to every tradition, see Values.