سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 180
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيْرًا ٱلْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿180﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves wealth, that he makes a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable manners. (This is) a duty upon Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2: 2).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كُتِبَ
kutiba
Prescribed
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
for you
إِذَا
idhā
when
حَضَرَ
ḥaḍara
approaches
أَحَدَكُمُ
aḥadakumu
any of you
ٱلْمَوْتُ
l-mawtu
[the] death
إِن
in
if
تَرَكَ
taraka
he leaves
خَيْرًا
khayran
good
ٱلْوَصِيَّةُ
l-waṣiyatu
(making) the will
لِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ
lil'wālidayni
for the parents
وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ
wal-aqrabīna
and the near relatives
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ
bil-maʿrūfi
with due fairness
حَقًّا
ḥaqqan
a duty
عَلَى
ʿalā
on
ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
l-mutaqīna
the righteous ones
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 180) ➊ "It has been prescribed" means it has been made obligatory. (Raghib) "Death approaches someone" means its causes and signs appear, because after death, not only is a will impossible, but nothing else can be done either.
➋ Since death can come at any time, if there is a risk of someone's right being lost by not making a will—for example, if someone's debt needs to be paid—then there should be no delay at all in making a will. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not right for a Muslim who has something to will, to spend two nights without having his will written with him." [ بخاری، الوصایا، باب الوصایا : ۲۷۳۸، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما] Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that after hearing this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), not even one night passed before I wrote my will and kept it with me. [ مسلم، الوصیۃ، باب وصیۃ الرجل مکتوبۃ عندہ : 1627/4]
➌ The entire Ummah agrees that a will cannot be made in favor of an heir. The reason is that Allah Himself has prescribed their share while making the will, as He said: «يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْۤ اَوْلَادِكُمْ…وَ لَهٗ عَذَابٌ مُّهِيْنٌ» [ النساء : ۱۱ تا ۱۴] Now, after Allah's will, what room is there for anyone else's will? And it is narrated from Amr bin Kharijah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said while delivering a sermon: [إِنَّ اللّٰہَ قَدْ أَعْطٰی کُلَّ ذِیْ حَقٍّ حَقَّہٗ فَلاَ وَصِیَّۃَ لِوَارِثٍ] "Allah has given every rightful person his right, so there is no will for an heir." [ نسائی، الوصایا، باب إبطال الوصیۃ للوارث : ۳۶۷۱۔ ترمذی : ۲۱۲۱۔ ابن ماجہ : ۲۷۱۳۔ وقال الترمذی حسن صحیح]
➍ When making a will for heirs is not permissible at all, then how was making a will for parents and close relatives made obligatory in this verse? Some scholars have answered this question by saying that this verse is abrogated by: «يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْۤ اَوْلَادِكُمْ» [ النساء : ۱۱] Therefore, now making a will for parents and close relatives is not only not obligatory, but not even permissible. But the reality is that indeed, Allah Himself has prescribed the shares of parents and close relatives, so there is no will for them. However, there are some parents and close relatives whose share Allah has not prescribed; for them, making a will has been made obligatory so that they are not deprived. For example, those parents who are disbelievers or slaves cannot inherit from a Muslim; making a will for them is obligatory. Or if a person's grandfather, grandmother, maternal grandfather, or maternal grandmother have no one to look after them, then as parents, making a will for them is also necessary, since in the presence of the father, they are not heirs. Similarly, in the presence of a person's sons, grandsons and granddaughters cannot be heirs (although in Pakistan's law, in rebellion against Allah's command, they have been made heirs); for such grandchildren, making a will is obligatory, so that along with the stigma of orphanhood, they are not completely deprived of their grandfather's inheritance.
➎ It is not permissible to make a will for more than one-third of the total wealth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) allowed Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) to make a will for up to one-third of his wealth and considered even that to be a lot. [ بخاری، الفرائض، باب میراث البنات : ۶۷۳۳]
➋ Since death can come at any time, if there is a risk of someone's right being lost by not making a will—for example, if someone's debt needs to be paid—then there should be no delay at all in making a will. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not right for a Muslim who has something to will, to spend two nights without having his will written with him." [ بخاری، الوصایا، باب الوصایا : ۲۷۳۸، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما] Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that after hearing this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), not even one night passed before I wrote my will and kept it with me. [ مسلم، الوصیۃ، باب وصیۃ الرجل مکتوبۃ عندہ : 1627/4]
➌ The entire Ummah agrees that a will cannot be made in favor of an heir. The reason is that Allah Himself has prescribed their share while making the will, as He said: «يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْۤ اَوْلَادِكُمْ…وَ لَهٗ عَذَابٌ مُّهِيْنٌ» [ النساء : ۱۱ تا ۱۴] Now, after Allah's will, what room is there for anyone else's will? And it is narrated from Amr bin Kharijah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said while delivering a sermon: [إِنَّ اللّٰہَ قَدْ أَعْطٰی کُلَّ ذِیْ حَقٍّ حَقَّہٗ فَلاَ وَصِیَّۃَ لِوَارِثٍ] "Allah has given every rightful person his right, so there is no will for an heir." [ نسائی، الوصایا، باب إبطال الوصیۃ للوارث : ۳۶۷۱۔ ترمذی : ۲۱۲۱۔ ابن ماجہ : ۲۷۱۳۔ وقال الترمذی حسن صحیح]
➍ When making a will for heirs is not permissible at all, then how was making a will for parents and close relatives made obligatory in this verse? Some scholars have answered this question by saying that this verse is abrogated by: «يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْۤ اَوْلَادِكُمْ» [ النساء : ۱۱] Therefore, now making a will for parents and close relatives is not only not obligatory, but not even permissible. But the reality is that indeed, Allah Himself has prescribed the shares of parents and close relatives, so there is no will for them. However, there are some parents and close relatives whose share Allah has not prescribed; for them, making a will has been made obligatory so that they are not deprived. For example, those parents who are disbelievers or slaves cannot inherit from a Muslim; making a will for them is obligatory. Or if a person's grandfather, grandmother, maternal grandfather, or maternal grandmother have no one to look after them, then as parents, making a will for them is also necessary, since in the presence of the father, they are not heirs. Similarly, in the presence of a person's sons, grandsons and granddaughters cannot be heirs (although in Pakistan's law, in rebellion against Allah's command, they have been made heirs); for such grandchildren, making a will is obligatory, so that along with the stigma of orphanhood, they are not completely deprived of their grandfather's inheritance.
➎ It is not permissible to make a will for more than one-third of the total wealth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) allowed Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) to make a will for up to one-third of his wealth and considered even that to be a lot. [ بخاری، الفرائض، باب میراث البنات : ۶۷۳۳]
