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Islamic estate planning that is faithful and enforceable
A plan built on the Quranic shares, structured so a New York or Texas court will honor it without a fight.
For a Muslim family, an estate plan has to satisfy two systems at once: the obligations of Shariah and the requirements of state law. A generic will does neither well. My Islamic estate plans are drafted from the ground up to do both.
The Islamic order of settling an estate is clear: pay outstanding debts first, then funeral expenses, then honor any discretionary bequest (wasiyyah) up to one-third of what remains, and finally distribute the residue by the fixed shares (fara’id). The challenge is expressing that faithfully inside instruments: wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, that American courts and financial institutions recognize. That translation is the work.
The Building Blocks
The Islamic concepts I plan around
The Fixed Shares
The Quranic inheritance shares that govern how the residue of an estate passes to heirs. I map your heirs and structure documents so distribution follows these shares precisely.
The One-Third Bequest
A discretionary bequest, capped at one-third of the estate, that can go to non-heirs, charity, or causes you care about. I make sure the total stays within the limit.
Outstanding Obligations
Unpaid zakat and similar obligations can be directed for payment from the estate before distribution, alongside debts and funeral costs.
Compliant Stewardship
Where a trust holds and invests assets, I can build in guidance that they be managed under halal principles, avoiding riba and non-compliant industries.
Burial & Final Rites
Directives for prompt Islamic burial, ghusl and janazah prayer, and the appointment of an agent to carry out your arrangements.
Trusted Fiduciaries
Executors, trustees, and agents you trust to honor both the plan and its faith-based intent, chosen and documented with care.
Why a standard will isn’t enough
Boilerplate wills distribute by per-stirpes or equal shares, almost never the fara’id shares. Retirement accounts and life insurance pass by beneficiary designation outside the will entirely, which can quietly defeat an otherwise compliant plan. And a will that simply recites religious language without proper legal structure invites challenge in the Surrogate’s Court. A plan that works has to coordinate all of it.
What a faith-based plan with me looks like
Depending on your situation, your plan may combine a will, a revocable living trust, coordinated beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, health-care directives, and a disposition-of-remains designation, with the Islamic provisions woven through each. We’ll decide the right combination together at your consultation.
A note on scope: I am an attorney, not a religious scholar. I draft plans designed to be valid under New York and Texas law and to reflect well-established Islamic inheritance principles. Where a question of religious ruling arises, I’m glad to work alongside a scholar or imam you trust.
Build a plan you can stand behind
Let’s talk about your family and your wishes. The first consultation is free.
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