سوال

We are four brothers and one sister; our parents passed away long ago. The distribution of our inherited property among ourselves has not yet been done.

The house we lived in, and where only the brothers currently reside, has not been officially allotted by the government. It is still listed under our late mother’s name in government records. We need to complete the documentation and pay the required amount to finalize the transfer, which remains pending.

The four brothers live in this house with our families. Our sister, who married before our parents’ passing, lives abroad with her husband and family. Since she resides elsewhere, we brothers have informally divided the house into four parts and live there with our families.

Attached to the house are six shops, rented out for a long time. Until our mother’s passing, the shop rents were paid to her, and she used the income for household expenses.

Given the current situation, we seek guidance on the following: Shop Rent Distribution: Since our parents are no longer alive, how should the shop rent be divided among the siblings?

Shop Repair Costs: If shop repairs are needed, should the costs be deducted from the rent before distribution, divided equally among siblings, or apportioned based on inheritance shares?

Sister’s Claim on the House: Our sister claims her share in the house, noting that the four brothers live there. Since the house is not yet legally transferred from the government and we are only lawful occupants, what is the ruling on her claim?

House Repair Costs: House repairs are funded from shop rent. Our sister questions why these costs are deducted since she doesn’t live there. How should this be resolved?

Recovering Other Properties: We recently discovered additional inherited properties that are illegally occupied. Recovering them requires legal action and expenses (e.g., 3 lakh Taka for 20 decimals of land). How should these costs be shared among siblings?

Land Distribution: If we recover the land, how should it be divided? What portions will the four brothers and one sister receive?

Current Challenges and Questions: The house remains unregistered due to financial constraints, as we cannot afford the government’s stipulated price. Until it is legally transferred, we cannot distribute it according to Shariah. is this correct? Our mother passed away in 2017, so how should we account for the rent and expenses since then? The shops vary in size and rent; how should we handle this? We want to avoid disputes and ensure everyone receives their rightful share fairly.

We seek detailed guidance on what to do, especially until the house is legally transferred. Please provide clear, Shariah-compliant solutions that all siblings can understand to resolve these matters amicably.

اَلجَوَابْ بِاسْمِ مُلْہِمِ الصَّوَابْ

The house that was allotted by the government in the name of the mother will be considered her property, including the shops. After the mother's passing, the house and all the shops, along with their rent, will be considered part of her inheritance, and all siblings will share in it.        According to Islamic Shariah, the inheritance will be divided as follows: each brother will get 2 shares and the sister will get 1 share meaning a male's share is equal to that of two females. Total shares: 2×4 (brothers) + 1 (sister) = 9 shares

Each brother = 2/9                                  Sister = 1/9           Therefore, all rent received from the shops since 2017 must be collected and divided according to this ratio.

As for shop repair expenses, if repairs are necessary for example, if a wall is falling or the roof is leaking then the cost may be deducted from the rent before distribution. The remaining rent will then be divided among the heirs according to their Islamic shares.

The sister’s demand for her share in the house is valid according to Shariah, because when the house was allotted by the government in the mother’s name, she became the owner. The absence of registration only affects the legal process, but ownership by the mother is established, and thus, the house is part of her inheritance. Even though four brothers are living in the house, the sister’s right is not nullified.

Using the shop rent for house repairs is only permissible if the sister agrees. If she does not agree, then it is necessary to give her full share because she does not reside in the house, so it is not permissible to impose the cost of repairs on her.

Recovery of illegally occupied land
If some property (e.g., 20 decimals of land) is under illegal occupation, and ₹300,000 is spent on recovering it, then this expense must be shared by all heirs in proportion to their shares:
Each brother = 2/9
Sister = 1/9

After recovery, this land will also be divided in the same ratio. The division will again be in 9 parts:
Each brother = 2 parts
Sister = 1 part

Legal status of the house and current situation
Due to lack of registration, legal distribution may not be possible at present. Therefore, it is necessary to determine shares according to Shariah and make a mutual agreement that once legal registration is completed, each individual will receive their rightful share.

Difference in shop rents
If there is a difference in shop rents some shops have higher rent and others lower than either the rent of each shop should be divided individually according to Shariah, or all the rent should be collected and then distributed among the heirs.

مرشد الحيران إلى معرفة أحوال الإنسان (ص107):

إذا احتاج الملك المشترك إلى مرمة أو عمارة يعمره أصحابه بالاشتراك على قدر حصصهم.

الغاية في اختصار النهاية (4/ 82):

إذا عمر أحد الشريكين الملك المشترك بإذن شريكه يكون له الرجوع عليه بقدر ما يصيب حصته من المصاريف فإن عمرة الشريك بلا إذن شريكه يكون متبرعاً ،لا رجوع له عليه بما صرفه على العمارة.

إِذا استرمَّ المِلْكُ المشترك، فاتَّفق الشريكان على عمارته، أو على إِهماله، جاز، وإن طلب أحدهما العمارة ففي إِجبار الآخر قولان، الجديد: أنَّه لا يُجبر، كما لو انفرد بالملك.

حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (4/ 334):

مطلب في الحائط إذا خرب وطلب أحد الشريكين قسمته أو تعميره، والذي تحصل في هذا المحل أن الشريك إذا لم يضطر إلى العمارة مع شريكه، بأن أمكنه القسمة فأنفق بلا إذنه فهو متبرع، وإن اضطر وكان الشريك يجبر على العمل معه فلا بد من إذنه أو أمر القاضي فيرجع بما أنفق، وإلا فهو متبرع إن اضطر وكان شريكه لا يجبر، فإن أنفق بإذنه أو بأمر القاضي رجع بما أنفق أو لا  ثم بالقيمة، فاغتنم تحرير هذا المقام الذي هو مزلة أقدام الأفهام .

المجلة (ص: 111):

مادة 597: لا يلزم ضمان المنفعة في مال استعمل بتأويل ملك ولو كان معدا للاستغلال، مثلا لو تصرف مدة أحد الشركاء في المال المشترك  بدون إذن شريكه مستقلا فليس للشريك الآخر اخذ أجرة  حصته؛ لأنه استعمله على أنه ملكه.

شرح المجلة للعلامة الأتاسی(2/701):

شرح المادة 597: لأن الدار المشترکة فی حق السکنی و ما کان من توابعها تجعل کالمملوکة لکل واحد من الشریکین علی سبیل الکمال؛ إذ لو لم تجعل کذلك منع کل واحد من الدخول والقعود و وضع الأمتعة، فتتعطل علیه منافع ملکه، وإنه لایجوز، وإذا جعلنا ها هکذا صار الحاضر ساکنا فی ملك نفسه، فکیف یجب علیه الأجر؟ (حموی عن العمادیة).

درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام (1/ 588):

شرح المادة 597: مسائل تتفرع عن ذلك: أولًا: مثلًا لو تصرف أحد الشركاء تغلبًا في المال المشترك كالدار والحانوت مدةً بدون إذن شريكه مستقلًا واستعمله بنفسه، فليس للشريك الآخر أخذ أجرة حصته؛ لأنه استعمله على أنه ملكه، كما أنه ليس له أن يطالب بسكنى الدار وحده بقدر ما سكنها شريكه، انظر المادة (

القوانين الفقهية» (ص263):

‌أربعة ‌أخوة ‌وأخت فاقسم الشركة على تسعة لكل ذكر اثنان وللأنثى واحد۔