Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/251)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Chapter: The Fundamental Denominators of Inheritance Cases

The prescribed shares are six: one-half, one-quarter, one-eighth, two-thirds, one-third, and one-sixth. The fundamental denominators are seven, …

His statement, “The prescribed shares are six,” means that the fixed shares are six.

His statement, “one-half, one-quarter, one-eighth, two-thirds, one-third, and one-sixth”: there are no others besides these. That is, these are the six shares by which Allah, Most High, has determined the portions of the heirs. The evidence is as follows:

Regarding one-half, Allah, Most High, says: “And for you is half of what your wives leave.” Regarding one-quarter: “But if they have a child, then for you is one-quarter of what they leave.” Regarding one-eighth: “But if you have a child, then for them is one-eighth of what you leave.” Regarding two-thirds: “But if there are only daughters, two or more, then for them is two-thirds of what he leaves.” Regarding one-third: “But if he has no child and his parents inherit from him, then for his mother is one-third.” Regarding one-sixth: “But if he has siblings, then for his mother is one-sixth.”

We have previously encountered one-third of the remainder in the chapter on the grandfather and siblings, and in the two Umariyyah cases. As for the two Umariyyah cases, it is a sound principle, because it is from the sunnah of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. As for the chapter on the grandfather and siblings, it is an unsound principle, because there is no evidence for it in the Quran, the sunnah, or scholarly consensus.

His statement, “The fundamental denominators are seven,” means the fundamental denominators of inheritance cases, for the prescribed shares are not the same as the fundamental denominators of cases. The prescribed shares are the fixed portions assigned to the heirs, whereas the cases are the bases by which the inheritance is correctly calculated. Thus, the fundamental denominators are seven: two, three, four, six, eight, twelve, and twenty-four. These are the fundamental denominators of

بَابُ أُصُولِ المَسَائِلِ الفُرُوضُ سِتَّةٌ: نِصْفٌ وَرُبُعٌ وَثُمُنٌ وَثُلُثَانِ وَثُلُثٌ وَسُدُسٌ، والأُصُولُ سَبْعَةٌ، ....... قوله: «الفروض ستة»، أي: الفروض المقدرة ستة. قوله: «نصف وربع وثمن وثلثان وثلث وسدس»، ولا يوجد غير هذا، يعني التي قدر الله ـ تعالى ـ نصيب الوارث بها هي هذه الستة، والدليل: أما النصف فقال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَاجُكُمْ﴾، والربع: ﴿فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ﴾، والثمن: ﴿فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ فَلَهُنَّ الثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ﴾، والثلثان: ﴿فَإِنْ كُنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ﴾، والثلث: ﴿فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلأُِمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ﴾، والسدس: ﴿فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ﴾، ومرَّ علينا ثلث الباقي في باب الجد والإخوة، وفي العمريتين، أما في العمريتين فأصل صحيح؛ لأنه من سنة عمر ﵁، وأما في باب الجد والإخوة فأصل غير صحيح؛ لأنه لا دليل عليه، لا من الكتاب ولا من السنة ولا الإجماع. قوله: «والأصول سبعة» أصول المسائل؛ لأن الفروض غير أصول المسائل، فالفروض هي المقدرات للورثة، والمسائل هي التي يكون بها تصحيح الميراث، فالأصول سبعة: اثنان، ثلاثة، أربعة، ستة، ثمانية، اثنا عشر، أربعة وعشرون، هذه أصول