Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/259)

—making twenty-four—or twenty-four together with its half and its quarter; or six together with its double and its quadruple; or twelve together with its half and its double. All of these are correct.

His statement: “If anything remains after the prescribed shares have been allotted and there is no residuary heir, it is returned to each fixed-share heir in proportion to his share, except the two spouses.” After the author—may Allah have mercy on him—mentioned the proportional increase of inheritance cases, which entails a reduction in the shares, such that every heir’s share must be reduced because of the proportional increase, he mentioned its opposite: the return of the residue when something remains after the prescribed shares have been allotted. What is to be done with the remainder? If there is a residuary heir, it belongs to him, according to the Prophet’s saying: “Give the prescribed shares to those entitled to them; whatever remains goes to the nearest male relative.” (1)

If there is no residuary heir, the author says: “It is returned to each fixed-share heir in proportion to his share, except the two spouses.” Thus, no residue is returned to either spouse. Some have related this as a matter of consensus.

You should know that the matter of returning the residue is disputed in principle. Some scholars rejected it, maintaining that whatever remains after the prescribed shares should go to the public treasury, because returning it to the heirs would mean adding to the share decreed by Allah in His Book. Those who uphold the return of the residue say that Allah Most High says:

“Those related by blood are more entitled to one another.” [Al-Ahzab: 6]

If we say that this surplus is to be given to the public treasury, we give it to the Muslims at large; but if we uphold returning it, we give it to the blood relatives, and blood relatives are more entitled to one another. Therefore, the view that the residue should be returned is correct. If someone says, “You have added to what Allah prescribed,” we reply: “We have added

(1) Its source has been cited previously on p. 199.

والعشرون، أو أربعة وعشرون ونصفها وربعها، أو ستة وضعفها وضعف ضعفها، أو اثنا عشر ونصفها وضعفها، كل هذا صحيح. قوله: «وإن بقي بعد الفروض شيء ولا عصبة رُدَّ على كل فرض بقدره غير الزوجين»، لما ذكر المؤلف ﵀ عول المسائل، والعول هو نقص في السهام، فكل واحد من الورثة لا بد أن ينقص سهمه بسبب العول، ذكر ضد ذلك وهو الرد إذا بقي بعد الفروض شيء، فماذا نعمل بالباقي؟ إن كان هناك عصبة فهو للعاصب لقول النبي ﷺ: «ألحقوا الفرائض بأهلها فما بقي فلأولى رجل ذكر» (١)، وإذا لم يكن عاصب فيقول المؤلف: «رد على كل ذي فرض بقدره غير الزوجين» فلا يرد عليهما، حكاه بعضهم إجماعاً. واعلم أن مسألة الرد ـ أصلاً ـ فيها خلاف، فمن العلماء مَنْ أنكره، وقال: ما بقي بعد الفروض يرد في بيت المال؛ لأننا لو رددنا عليهم لزدنا على الفرض المقدر في كتاب الله، والذين قالوا بالرد، قالوا: إن الله تعالى قال: ﴿وَأُولُو الأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَى بِبَعْضٍ﴾ [الأحزاب: ٦]، فإذا قلنا: هذا الزائد يصرف لبيت المال صرفناه لعامة المسلمين، وإذا قلنا بالرد صرفناه لذوي الأرحام، وأولو الأرحام بعضهم أولى ببعض، فالقول بالرد هو الصواب، فإذا قال قائل: أنتم زدتم على ما فرض الله، قلنا: زدنا

(١) سبق تخريجه ص (١٩٩).