Before You Calculate: Where to Find Each Figure for an Islamic Inheritance
When someone in the family dies, a lot of small jobs arrive at once. One of them is working out who is owed what. Before any calculation can start, someone has to gather the facts, and that someone may be grieving too.
This guide is about that gathering. It does not say what anyone inherits. It helps you find the five things you will need, tells you who to ask for each, and keeps the job from landing on one person alone.
Quick answer
You need five things: what the estate is worth, what is owed, the funeral costs, who is in the family, and which school of thought (madhab) the family follows. Put them on one page and share it with one or two other people.
Estimates are fine. Where you have to estimate, write “estimate”, the date, and where the figure came from, then replace it later.
The Mizaanly calculation is free. If you later want something to take to a solicitor, the Solicitor Instruction Letter is a £29 PDF. It is not a will and it is not legal advice.
Start with one page
Take a single sheet of paper or one note on your phone and put the five headings below on it. Everything you find goes there, with the date you found it and where it came from. Share it with one or two other people in the family. That way, if you are away for a week, nobody has to start again.
The five things to find
1. What the estate is worth
By estate we simply mean what the person owned. To get a picture of it:
- Bank and building society accounts. Gather the latest statements. Ask each bank what the balance was on the day of the death.
- Property. A written estimate from a local estate agent is a sensible starting point.
- Savings and investments. Look for annual statements, letters and online accounts.
- Pensions and insurance policies. Ask each provider what they hold and who it would be paid to. A solicitor can advise on what counts towards the estate.
- Anything else of value. A car, jewellery, a business interest. A rough written value is fine for now.
2. What is owed
Gather the mortgage statement, credit card statements, loan agreements, utility bills and any letters that keep arriving in the post. Ask each lender for the amount outstanding. Keep a running list; more may turn up.
3. Funeral costs
Ask the funeral director for the invoice or a written estimate. Write down who paid and how, so it is clear later.
4. Who is in the family
Write down the full names of the family members involved and how each is related to the person. Include everyone you are unsure about. Leave the working out for later; at this stage you are only listing. Older relatives may know details that are not written anywhere, so ask them.
5. Which school of thought the family follows
The calculation asks you to choose a school of thought, or madhab. Mizaanly supports the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali madhabs. If you do not know which one your family follows, ask an elder in the family before you start. If nobody knows, a scholar you trust can advise.
When a figure is missing
You will probably not find everything at once. Where you have to estimate, write “estimate”, the date, and where the figure came from. Estimates can be replaced later, so do not hold everything up waiting for perfect numbers.
What to do with your page
With the five headings filled in, you have the main information needed to begin. The Mizaanly calculation is free, and the step-by-step walkthrough is in How to Use Mizaanly.
If you later want something to take to a solicitor, Mizaanly offers a Solicitor Instruction Letter as a £29 PDF. It is an instruction letter for your solicitor. It is not a will and it is not legal advice.
A solicitor can tell you what your family’s situation needs.
Common questions
What do I need to gather before calculating an Islamic inheritance?
Five things: what the estate is worth, what is owed, the funeral costs, who is in the family, and which school of thought (madhab) the family follows. Put the five headings on one page, note the date and source of every figure, and share the page with one or two other people in the family.
Do I need exact figures before I start?
No. You will probably not find everything at once. Where you have to estimate, write “estimate”, the date, and where the figure came from. Estimates can be replaced later, so do not hold everything up waiting for perfect numbers.
What if my family does not know which madhab it follows?
Ask an elder in the family before you start. If nobody knows, a scholar you trust can advise. Mizaanly supports the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali madhabs.
Does this guide tell me what each family member inherits?
No. This guide only helps you gather the facts. The Mizaanly calculation is free, and the step-by-step walkthrough is in How to Use Mizaanly. A solicitor can tell you what your family’s situation needs.