A woman died at the age of ninety. Her living children are nine: two sons and two daughters. The youngest of her grandchildren, from her son who passed away one year before her, is aged thirty-two. Are these grandchildren entitled to the obligatory bequest although they are aged thirty-two and above?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
A Muslim isn`t obligated to leave a bequest to his grandchildren whose father had passed away; rather, this act is recommended. Therefore, if he left a bequest whereby they get less than one third of the estate then Allah will reward him for that. However, if he left no bequest for them then they get nothing because their paternal uncles are alive and they are closer to the deceased and more entitled to inherit him. This is the position of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. However, the Personal Status Law didn`t adopt this position; rather, it gave them the same amount to which their father is entitled when alive but his father or mother are dead; provided that it doesn`t exceed one third of the estate. Therefore, we advise them (Grandchildren) to relinquish this share of the inheritance. If not, then we advise their paternal uncles to overlook the amounts taken from their shares and given to their paternal nephews. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
Are phone conversations between the two sexes permissible if for consultation, and within the limits of good manners?
Such act is impermissible since it renders hearts corrupt, and could lead to forbidden attachment. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): "and follow not the footsteps of the devil." [Al-Baqarah/68].
Is it permissible for a wife to leave her house without obtaining the permission of her husband, and not to come back unless he divorces her co-wife?
It is forbidden for the wife to leave without obtaining her husband`s permission, and it is impermissible for her to ask him to divorce her co-wife as this inflicts harm on the latter and such an act is forbidden in Islamic law.
What is the ruling of Sharia on tubal ligation?
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Undergoing tubal ligation* to protect the mother`s health is permissible provided that this procedure is performed based on professional opinion of trustworthy medical doctors. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
*Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure for female sterilization in which the fallopian tubes are permanently blocked, clipped or removed. This prevents the fertilization of eggs by sperm and thus the implantation of a fertilized egg. Tubal ligation is considered a permanent method of sterilization and birth control.
