Al-Kāfī - Ibn Abd al-Barr - (2/1024)

—said, “One-fifth in a bequest is dearer to me, for Allah accepted one-fifth of the war-booty as a share. Whoever leaves behind wealth should realize that making a bequest augments his good deeds and compensates for what he neglected during his lifetime.

If someone bequeaths the full one-third that the law allows, the bequest is valid and must be executed. Should he bequeath more than one-third, anything beyond that limit is invalid unless the heirs approve it; they are free either to ratify or to refuse. If some heirs refuse while others consent, the consent is binding only on the portions of those who agreed, each according to his share. If all of them consent, the entire bequest is valid; if none of them consent, only the one-third takes effect.

All of this applies after the cost of his shroud, grave, and burial—at a reasonable, customary level—has been paid, and after his debts have likewise been settled, for neither inheritance nor bequest takes effect until the debts are discharged. Once the debts are cleared, the one-third specified in the bequest is taken out, if he designated it, and whatever remains is distributed among his heirs in the shares laid down in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

A bequest in favor of an heir is not permissible. If a person bequeaths anything, however small, to one of his heirs, that bequest is invalid unless the other heirs approve it after his death; with their approval it is valid, but without it the property returns to the estate, and the intended legatee receives only the statutory share due to him like the rest of the heirs. Should only some heirs approve, their approval is binding upon their own portions alone.

If a bequest is made jointly to an heir and to a non-heir, the heir may, if he wishes, share the bequest with the other beneficiaries and then consider what has reached them. Should all the heirs endorse the bequest in his favor, it is valid; if they refuse, the property reverts to the estate and is divided between him and them according to their respective shares.”

قال الخمس في الوصيه أحب الي لأن الله رضيه من الغنيمه سهما ومن ترك خيرا فالوصيه زيادة في عمله واستدراك لما فاته في حياته ومن اوصى بثلثه كله جاز ونفذ ذلك ومن اوصى بأكثر من ثلثه لم يجز ما زاد على الثلث الا ان يجيزه الورثه هم في ذلك بالخيار فإن ابى بعضهم وأجاز بعضهم لزم من اجاز ذلك منهم في نصيبه بقسطه وان أجازوا كلهم جاز وإن لم يجيزوا كلهم نفذ عليهم الثلث وذلك من بعد كفنه ومؤونة قبره ودفنه بالمعروف شيئا متوسطا وبعد قضاء ديونه أيضا لانه لاميراث ولا وصيه الا بعد أداء الدين فإذا قضي دينه أخرج ثلثه في وصيته إن اوصى به ثم يكون ما بقي بعد ذلك لورثته على فرائضهم في كتاب الله عزوجل ولا تجوز وصية لوارث ومن اوصى لوارثه بشيء وان قل فالوصيه مردوده فإن أجازها الورثه بعد موته جازت وان لم يجيزوها فهي موروثه عن الميت وللموصي له بها حظه منها كسائر مال الميت وان أجاز ذلك بعض الورثه لزمه في نصيبه بقسطه ومن اوصى لوارث وغير وارث معا كان للوارث ان يعاون أهل الوصايا ثم ينظر فيما اصابهم وان اجازه له الورثه جاز وان أبوا كان ذلك ميراثا بينه وبينهم على قدر مواريثهم