Definition, Subject, Benefit, and Ruling

Aspect	Details
📖 Definition	The knowledge of inheritance distribution in terms of jurisprudence and calculations.
📌 Subject	Estates, which include the wealth, rights, and exclusive possessions left behind by a deceased person.
🎯 Benefit	Ensuring that every heir receives their rightful share from the inheritance. This highlights its significance and legal ruling.
⚖️ Ruling	It is a Fard Kifayah (collective duty). If sufficient people fulfill this duty, it becomes Sunnah for others.

Rights Related to the Estate

There are five primary rights associated with an estate, ranked in order of importance:

1️⃣ Funeral Expenses

These expenses must be covered first and include:

💦 Cost of washing the deceased
🏴 Shroud (kafan)
🪔 Perfume (hanoot)
🧑‍🔬 Payment for the washer
⚰️ Digging of the grave

🔹 These costs are essential and considered equivalent to the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) of a living person.

2️⃣ Debts Secured by the Estate (Liens & Mortgages)

These include:

💰 Fines or compensations attached to an asset (e.g., a slave’s liability for injury caused)
🏡 Loans secured against mortgaged property

🔹 According to Imam Malik, Abu Hanifa, and Shafi’i, these debts take precedence over funeral expenses because they are directly tied to specific assets.

🔹 In such cases, the family or public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) may cover the funeral costs if necessary.