An example of this is where one of them leaves behind one million riyals and the other leaves behind one hundred thousand riyals. If the owner of the one hundred thousand inherits from the owner of the million, he will inherit five hundred thousand; and if the other inherits from him, he will inherit fifty thousand. Should we add the fifty thousand to the million and say that this one inherits five hundred and fifty thousand?

That is not possible. If we were to say this, it would lead to circularity. Rather, we say that the owner of the one hundred thousand inherits five hundred thousand from his counterpart, while the owner of the million inherits fifty thousand from his counterpart, and the matter ends there. Nevertheless, our view—and the view we consider preponderant—is that there is no mutual inheritance between them, and that neither has any right to the other’s property, because the condition—namely, the heir’s being alive after the death of the deceased—has not been fulfilled. This view that we have chosen is the position of al-Shafi‘i, and it was also the view preferred by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah; it is undoubtedly correct.