STEP 2: Let's add items to your list
Jude Adams
Many Muslims are not aware that Islamic wills are even a thing. They associate wills with old white men who are on the verge of dying. But as with most aspects of life, Islam provides guidance here as well.
Under UK law, any sane man can decide how his wealth is to be distributed after his death. So if one wants to distribute all his wealth to charity then he is free to do so. But in Islam, only up to one-third of the wealth is allowed to be distributed for charity. The rest should be left for the heirs.
After the individual decides how much of the one-third is to be distributed for charity, the rest of the estate is to be passed in fixed shares. These rules of distribution can be found in three Ayahs of the Holy Quran, numerous Hadiths and different rulings by the Companions of the Holy Prophet.
The rules were codified by early Islamic scholars and are very comprehensive.
Thus, in the end, making Islamic wills in the UK can get very complicated and messy.
The Islamic will aka wasiyya carries great importance. These two Hadiths indicate just how much weight a will carries:
"It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequest not to let two nights pass without writing a will about it." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
"A man may do good deeds for seventy years but if he acts unjustly when he leaves his last testament, the wickedness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Fire. If (on the other hand), a man acts wickedly for seventy years but is just in his last will and testament, the goodness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Garden." (Ahmad and Ibn Majah)
You can amend or revoke your Islamic will any time before your death. There are also some situations and circumstances that automatically cause your will to be amended or revoked.
When going through a divorce, your will can be modified to the point where any gift given to your ex-spouse can become void.
After getting married, your will is revoked unless it was previously made while keeping the eventual union in mind.
If a new will is written, the old will should be erased so that there are no confusions caused in the future.
The smart thing is to review your will every 5 years or after a major event in your life like marriage, death, birth, divorce etc. These reviews are necessary because you need to integrate changes. You can ask religious scholars or solicitors for advice regarding these changes.
Amendment or revokes are allowed as long as they comply with Shariah and are done before your death. Remember to take the matter of wills seriously as they will carry out your last actions in this world.
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