Importance of Learning, Teaching, and Implementing Islamic Inheritance law
Islamic succession law is an act, code of conduct, and legislation for Muslim succession and forms the foundations of Islamic estate planning (i.e., Islamic Wills and Trust) for Tarikah (i.e., estate) distribution after death. So, it's a such an important topic from a spiritual, legal, social, moral, and educational perspective. So following the Mirath (i.e., Inheritance) in Islam is mandatory. Ashabul Furud (or Furidah), Asabah (i.e., Residuary), and Dhawil arham (i.e., Distant Kindred or people from female lineage) under Islamic law must receive sahm (i.e., portion or share) to meet Islamic compliance. Estates (i.e., Waaris or Warasah) of a deceased person (i.e., Al-Mayt) must be distributed as soon as possible and the legal process finishes including probate, trust settlements, payments for burial, debt, and administration expenses, and Testamentary bequest (if declared in the Will). There are the following important benefits you should make a note of accomplishing Islamic inheritance obligations of learning and implementing.
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Gaining knowledge about inheritance (i.e., Ilmul Faraidh or Ilmil Mirath) comes with material benefits in addition to spiritual and other. Material benefits in the sense that you could be able to optimize your estate planning strategy if you understand it better. You may have heard the idiom that "everyone is a half doctor to cure his own sickness". This is not only true in medicine but any every field. If you have some knowledge, you may ask questions and get a meaningful outcome otherwise, you would have no option but to follow the directions of an expert.
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Most of the time, inheritance is bigger than what a wealth owner usually utilizes in a lifetime, so it helps reduce poverty for the widow and other beneficiaries. Islamic inheritance makes a much bigger impact than you may think off because it includes Spouse, Children (or Grandchildren how low soever), Parents (or Grandparents how high soever), Siblings (Full or Real, Paternal or Consanguine, Maternal or Uterine), and so on until many generations subject to eligibility, Full or Partial blocking rules (Hujb Hirman, Hujb Nuqsan), and conditions. So, if you think loud, in the current laws we have today, most people who benefit from inheritance is Spouse and children but not further which restricts the scope of influence. The only person who truly loves and care for children are their parents but unfortunately, they do not receive the inheritance as primary heirs under most legal laws worldwide.
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There are only three possible ways you can earn wealth; Efforts, Gifts (from someone), and Inheritance. Efforts are the hardest way. Gifts are voluntary, so you may not receive them. The last and most important one is Inheritance. So, the benefits of inheritance are beyond imagination. The one thing that can restrict or you can not fulfill inheritance duty is because, first, you did not create an estate plan, and second, you created an estate plan that is not adequate. In both of these, you are responsible because it is your wealth.
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Inheritance is a precious gift that can last longer than any other gift you can give away in your life. So, you will get good feelings from your inheritors, and that's how you can contribute to the community that will enable them to stay away from non-Halal (i.e., forbidden way of earning wealth) means that they would have pursued due to the scarcity of wealth. One of the greatest advantages of giving the inheritance to rightful owners is, you get a blessing. The biggest disadvantage of not giving the inheritance to rightful owners is, you get wrath. Most Muslims are aware overall that who should receive an inheritance share under Islam in general and so if someone does not receive a share based on Islamic law, he or she won't be happy for life even though you fulfilled all duties and made them happy in your life.
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Najaat (i.e., Salvation) is undoubtedly important for everyone, whether Muslims or Non-Muslims. There are many factors to achieving salvation for Muslims. Inheritance is one of the strongest factors because it will clean you from debts and sins, which reflects in this Hadith; Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 22, Hadith 281, it was narrated from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wasallam) said, "(Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says) O son of Adam! I have given you two things which you do not deserve (except by the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala): I allow you to dispose of a share of your wealth when you are on your deathbed to cleanse and purify you, and my slaves pray for you after your life is over."
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Not meeting the goal of estate planning means the estates will not be distributed as per Shariah. That means that wealth is just wasted. Wasting wealth is not a good thing in Islam, as reflected in the Hadith, Sahih Muslim 593h, Book 30, Hadith 16 states "Mu'awiya wrote to Mughira: Write for me something which you heard from Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam); and he wrote: I heard Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) as saying. Verily Allah disapproves three things for you: irrelevant talk, wasting of wealth and persistent questioning."
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Lastly, you leave behind an example that the next generations and community will follow. You get continuous charity rewards for the knowledge and the practice you leave behind.
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