Nowadays, many women work and contribute to home finances. Does the text regarding inheritance where the share of the male is twice that of the female still apply?
في عصرنا هذا والبنت تعمل وتساهم في مصروف البيت، هل لا يزال نص "للذكر مثل حظ الأنثيين" يطبق؟
The Islamic inheritance system is a comprehensive divine framework that is completely independent of individual household financial arrangements or modern societal trends.
نظام الميراث الإسلامي هو إطار إلهي شامل مستقل تماما عن الترتيبات المالية الفردية للأسرة أو الاتجاهات المجتمعية الحديثة.
Evaluating Modern Financial Contributions | تقييم المساهمات المالية المعاصرة
1. Voluntary Expense Versus Loan
First, when a woman contributes to her home expenses, she can choose between two things. She can either spend her money considering it a voluntary expense, or she can consider it as a loan to her husband. In the first case, where it is a voluntary expense, she will not get her money back. However, in the second case, she can explicitly ask her husband to return her money when he is financially able to do so.
1. النفقة كالتبرع أو كالدين
أولا، المرأة حين تساهم في مصروف البيت فهي بالخيار بين أمرين: إما أن تكون متبرعة بتلك النفقة، أو تنفقها على أنها دين على زوجها. فالمتبرع لا يرجع إليه ماله، وأما الدين على الزوج فلها المطالبة به حين يسره.
2. The Scope of the Inheritance Rule
Second, the Ayah that states a male's share will be equal to that of two females is not related to spouses. Rather, it refers to the inheritance of male and female relatives in cases where their kinship to the deceased is exactly the same, such as a brother and a sister, or a son and a daughter. As for the spouses, there is no correlation between a woman spending voluntarily and giving her more than her rightful, fixed share in the estate.
2. نطاق قاعدة الميراث
ثانيا، النص على أن للذكر مثل حظ الأنثيين ليس بين الزوجين وإنما فيما إذا اتحد الجنسان في درجة قرابتهما من الميت كالأخ وأخته أو الابن وبنته. أي أنه لا ارتباط بين تبرع المرأة بالإنفاق وبين إعطائها أكثر من حقها المنصوص عليه في التركة.
3. The Immutability of Divine Law
Thirdly, the legacy and inheritance system is a strict decree by Allah, just like the obligatory prayers, and this does not change according to human opinions. Furthermore, not all women are the same in giving their money and spending on the household. Some give to their husbands, and others do not.
3. ثبات الفريضة الإلهية
ثالثا، تقدم أن التركة فريضة من الله شأنها شأن الصلاة لا تتغير بالآراء العقلية. وكما أنه ليست كل النساء متساويات في الإنفاق، فقد تعطي بعضهن لزوجها ولا تعطي الأخريات.
4. Human Nature and Wealth
Fourth, by human nature, the more wealth a person acquires, the more miserly they tend to become.
4. طبيعة الإنسان والمال
رابعا، الإنسان بطبيعته كلما زاد ماله كلما بخل به.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Can a working woman ask for her money back if she spends it on the house?
Yes, but only if she explicitly considered and communicated that the money was a loan to her husband at the time of spending. If she spent it with the intention of a voluntary contribution, she cannot demand it back.
Does the rule of the male getting twice the share apply between a husband and a wife?
No. The rule where the male receives twice the share of the female applies primarily to relatives sharing the exact same degree of kinship to the deceased, such as a son and a daughter, or a brother and a sister. It does not apply to the shares between spouses.
Why cannot we change inheritance laws if modern societal roles change?
Because inheritance shares are a direct, fixed decree from Allah, entirely similar to the obligation of daily prayers. They do not change based on evolving human opinions, nor can they be altered based on an individual woman's voluntary choice to work and spend.