Does a non-Muslim relative inherit from a Muslim?

Not exactly. It’s a bit more complicated than a yes or no.

According to Sharī‘a inheritance rules, a relative inherits automatically as part of the fixed default-distribution system. Under Sharī‘a, non-Muslim relatives, like your spouse or a child, are not eligible Islamic heirs, which means they do not inherit as Qur’anic predetermined share takers.

A bequest is a discretionary transfer of property at death. It is a personal transaction between you and the beneficiary.  For this reason, non-Muslim relatives are eligible to inherit through discretionary bequests.

You are free to leave up to 1/3 of your estate in the aggregate to non-Islamic heirs. If you want to leave something for non-Muslim relatives, for example, you can leave up to 1/3 of your estate for them to share.

Use our ISLAMIC WILL software to prepare your own customized Islamic estate plan that is legally valid for your state to allow you to leave a bequest to a non-Muslim relative.