علم الفرائض Islamic Law of Inheritance

Islamic Law of Inheritance (علم الفرائض) Component

Raodotul Irshad wal Is’ad Institute, Nigeria

This module systematically explores the divine allocation of inheritance in Islam, combining classical jurisprudence with modern Nigerian sociolegal contexts. Students master the mathematical precision of Quranic shares while addressing contemporary challenges like digital assets and blended families.

Core Objectives

1. Divine Precision: Ensure accurate distribution of inheritance shares (farāʾiḍ) as ordained in the Quran and Sunnah.
2. Modern Complexity: Adapt classical rules to modern asset types (cryptocurrency, corporate shares).
3. Social Justice: Resolve inheritance disputes through Islamic ethics, reducing familial conflicts in Nigerian communities.

Curriculum Structure

1. Foundational Principles

• Quranic Framework:
  • Analyze inheritance verses ([Surah An-Nisa: 11-12, 176]) and their mathematical ratios.
  • Calculate base scenarios using ʿawl (proportional reduction) and radd (return of residue).
• Hierarchy of Heirs:
  • Classify dhawi al-furūḍ (fixed-share heirs) and ʿaṣabah (residual heirs) in Maliki jurisprudence.
  • Case study: Resolving competing claims between paternal uncles and daughters in northern Nigerian families.

2. Contemporary Applications

• Digital Inheritance:
  • Develop Sharia-compliant frameworks for transferring social media accounts, NFTs, and Bitcoin.
  • Workshop: Drafting digital wills compliant with Nigerian cyber laws and Islamic principles.
• Blended Families:
  • Address inheritance rights in polygamous households and adopted children under kafālah (Islamic foster care).
  • Simulate cases involving step-siblings and half-siblings in Lagos’ multicultural families.

3. Comparative Analysis

• Madhhab Variations:
  • Contrast Maliki, Hanbali, and Jaʿfari approaches to prenatal inheritance rights.
  • Debate the permissibility of wasīyyah (bequests) beyond the 1/3 limit in Nigerian contexts.
• Civil Law Interface:
  • Map conflicts between Islamic inheritance and Nigeria’s Wills Act 1837.
  • Design hybrid estate plans for Muslim professionals in Abuja’s corporate sector.

Teaching Methodology

• Calculation Labs:
  • Use Farāʾiḍ Calculator software to solve complex cases with multiple heirs and debts.
  • Convert inheritance ratios into infographics for community workshops.
• Mock Inheritance Courts:
  • Role-play as qāḍīs (judges) mediating disputes over ancestral farmlands in Kano.
  • Analyze forensic documents (death certificates, property deeds) for legal validity.

Assessment & Outcomes

• Applied Projects:
  • Estate Planning Portfolio: Create inheritance solutions for a hypothetical family with mixed Muslim-Christian members.
  • Research Paper: Propose reforms to Nigeria’s Probate Registry using maqāṣid al-sharīʿah (higher objectives of Islamic law).
• Certification:
  • Diploma in Islamic Inheritance Law accredited by the Nigerian Islamic Councils.
• Community Impact:
  • Conduct free inheritance clinics to help families draft mirāth documents.
  • Train local imams as inheritance mediators through the institute’s outreach program.

Vision: To produce scholars who uphold the Quran’s distributive justice while innovatively resolving 21st-century inheritance dilemmas in Nigeria’s diverse Muslim society.