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Practice these MCQs in the appQuick fact: Islamic law recognizes three causes of inheritance: marriage (nikah), blood relationship (nasab), and patronage (wala).
In Islamic inheritance law (ilm al-faraidh), there are exactly three recognized causes that entitle a person to inherit from the deceased. These are: (1) Nikah — a valid marriage contract, which creates mutual inheritance rights between spouses; (2) Nasab — blood relationship or kinship, whether through direct lineage or collateral relations; and (3) Wala — patronage or loyalty, which arises when a master frees a slave, giving the former master a right of inheritance if the freed person dies without heirs. No other cause, such as friendship, adoption, or mutual agreement, creates inheritance rights under Islamic law.
The science of inheritance (ilm al-faraidh) is considered one of the most precisely detailed areas of Islamic jurisprudence, with specific shares prescribed in the Quran itself, particularly in Surah Al-Nisa (4:11-12, 176). The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized its importance, reportedly saying, "Learn the laws of inheritance and teach them to people, for it is half of knowledge." The three causes — marriage, blood relationship, and wala — form the foundational categories under which all legal heirs are classified, and no person can inherit on any basis outside these three causes.
