Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/209)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

or the paternal grandfather is accompanied only by female descendants, he inherits both by prescribed share and by agnatic succession. For example, if a person dies leaving two daughters and a father, the two daughters receive two-thirds. As for the remainder, we say: the father receives one-sixth as a prescribed share, and the remainder by agnatic succession.

Is it correct to say, “The remainder goes to the father?”

The answer is: if the questioner is a layman and says, “A man died leaving two daughters and a father,” it is appropriate for me to say, “The two daughters receive two-thirds, and the father receives the remainder.” For if you were to tell him, “The two daughters receive two-thirds, while the father receives one-sixth as a prescribed share and the remainder by agnatic succession,” you would confuse him: what does all this mean?!

Why, then, do we insist on saying, “one-sixth as a prescribed share, and the remainder by agnatic succession”? It is because of the noble verse in which Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“And for his parents, to each one of them is a sixth of what he leaves, if he has a child.” [Quran 4:11]

Here, “child” includes both male and female, for in both linguistic and religious usage, the word “child” applies to males and females. Since Allah says that he is to receive one-sixth if the deceased has a child, we must say that he receives one-sixth as a prescribed share. How, then, do we say that he receives the remainder by agnatic succession? We say this because the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Give the prescribed shares to those entitled to them, and whatever remains goes to the nearest male agnatic heir.” (1) Thus, we give the prescribed shares to those entitled to them: the two daughters receive two-thirds and the father one-sixth, leaving one-sixth, which is taken by the nearest male agnatic heir—the father. This is why we adhere to the wording of the textual evidence in this matter. The paternal grandfather is exactly like the father; hence he said: “Each of the father and the paternal grandfather receives one-sixth as a prescribed share ... and so on.”

The father and the paternal grandfather are alike: at times they inherit by prescribed share, at times by agnatic succession, and at times by both.

(1) Its source has previously been cited on p. 209.

أو الجد إناث فقط من الفروع، فإنه يرث بالفرض وبالتعصيب، مثاله: هلك هالك عن بنتين وأب، للبنتين الثلثان والباقي نقول: للأب السدس فرضاً والباقي بالتعصيب. هل يصح أن أقول: والباقي للأب؟ الجواب: لو كان الذي يسأل عامياً، وقال: توفي رجل عن بنتين وأب، يحسن أن أقول: للبنتين الثلثان وللأب الباقي؛ لأنك لو قلت له: للبنتين الثلثان وللأب السدس فرضاً والباقي تعصيباً، أشغلته، ما معنى هذا الكلام؟! ولماذا حافظنا على أن نقول: السدس فرضاً والباقي تعصيباً؟ للآية الكريمة، قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلأَِبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ﴾ [النساء: ١١]، والمراد هنا بالولد الذكر والأنثى؛ لأن الولد في اللغة وفي الشرع ـ أيضاً ـ يطلق على الذكر والأنثى، فإذا كان الله يقول: له السدس إن كان له ولد، فيجب أن نقول: له السدس فرضاً، وكيف نقول: الباقي تعصيباً؟ نقول ذلك؛ لأن النبي ﷺ قال: «ألحقوا الفرائض بأهلها فما بقي فلأولى رجل ذكر» (١)، ألحقنا الفرائض بأهلها للبنتين الثلثان وللأب السدس بقي سدس، يأخذه أولى رجل ذكر وهو الأب؛ فلذلك نحافظ على لفظ النص في هذا الباب، والجد مثل الأب تماماً، ولهذا قال: «ولكل من الأب والجد السدس بالفرض … إلخ». فالأب والجد سواء، يرثان بالفرض تارة، وبالتعصيب تارة، وبهما تارة.

(١) سبق تخريجه ص (٢٠٩).