Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/303)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Chapter: Inheritance among People of Different Religions

A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever except through wala'—the legal patronage resulting from emancipation—nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim except through wala' …

“People of different religions” means people of different faiths. We cannot discuss inheritance among people of different religions until a cause of inheritance exists. The causes of inheritance are three: marriage, kinship, and wala'—the legal patronage resulting from emancipation. Thus, if two people who may inherit from one another share the same religion, inheritance takes place between them; but if their religions differ, it does not, because one of the conditions of inheritance is that they share the same religion. Allah said to Noah when he said, “Indeed, my son is of my family.” Allah replied, “Indeed, he is not of your family.” [Hud: 45, 46] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said in the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim.” (1)

His statement, “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever except through wala', nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim except through wala',” is supported by the verse to which we referred and by the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim.” This is because inheritance is founded upon mutual allegiance and support, and there can be no such allegiance or support between a Muslim and a disbeliever. As for the author’s statement, “except through wala',” this exception has no evidence for it and is unsound both textually and rationally. It is textually unsound because there is no authentic evidence for it, although a weak hadith has been narrated concerning it (2). As for its being invalid on rational grounds

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari, *Al-Fara'id* (Laws of Inheritance), chapter: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim” (6764); and by Muslim, *Al-Fara'id*, chapter: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, nor does a disbeliever inherit from a Muslim” (1614). (2) Narrated by al-Darimi, *Al-Fara'id*, chapter: “The inheritance of the people of shirk (polytheism) and the people of Islam” (2993–2994); al-Nasa'i in *al-Sunan al-Kubra*, *Al-Fara'id*, chapter: “A child whose one parent accepts Islam” (6356); al-Daraqutni (4/74); al-Hakim (4/345); and al-Bayhaqi (6/218), on the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him.

بَابُ مِيرَاثِ أَهْلِ المِلَلِ لَا يَرِثُ المُسْلِمُ الكَافِرَ إِلاَّ بِالوَلَاءِ، وَلَا الكَافِرُ المُسْلِمَ إِلاَّ بِالوَلَاءِ، ...... أهل الملل يعني الأديان، ولا يمكن أن نبحث في ميراث أهل الملل حتى يوجد سبب الميراث، وأسباب الميراث ثلاثة: نكاح ونسب وولاء، فإذا وجد اثنان بينهما توارث وهما على دين واحد جرى التوارث، وإن اختلف دينهما فلا؛ لأن من شرط الإرث اتفاق الدين، لقول الله ﵎ لنوح حين قال: ﴿إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي﴾ قال الله له: ﴿إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ﴾ [هود: ٤٥، ٤٦] ولقول النبي ﷺ في حديث أسامة بن زيد ﵁: «لا يرث المسلم الكافر ولا الكافر المسلم» (١). قوله: «لا يرث المسلمُ الكافرَ إلا بالولاء ولا الكافرُ المسلمَ إلا بالولاء» والدليل ما أشرنا إليه من الآية، وما قاله النبي ﷺ: «لا يرث المسلم الكافر ولا الكافر المسلم»، ولأن الإرث مبني على الموالاة والنصرة، ولا موالاة ولا نصرة بين المسلم والكافر، أما قول المؤلف: «إلا بالولاء»، فهذا الاستثناء لا دليل عليه ولا يصح أثراً ولا نظراً، أما كونه لا يصح أثراً فلعدم الدليل الصحيح، وقد ورد فيه حديث ضعيف (٢)، وأما كونه لا يصح

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الفرائض/ باب لا يرث المسلم الكافر ولا الكافر المسلم (٦٧٦٤)؛ ومسلم في الفرائض/ باب لا يرث المسلم الكافر ولا الكافر المسلم (١٦١٤). (٢) أخرجه الدارمي في الفرائض/ باب ميراث أهل الشرك وأهل الإسلام (٢٩٩٣ ـ ٢٩٩٤)؛ والنسائي في الكبرى في الفرائض/ باب الصبي يسلم أحد أبويه (٦٣٥٦)؛ والدارقطني (٤/ ٧٤)؛ والحاكم (٤/ ٣٤٥)؛ والبيهقي (٦/ ٢١٨) عن جابر ﵁.