will

Why make a Will?

A Will is the only way you can make sure that your estate (your money, property, possessions and investments) go to the people and causes you care about. It also means that our family won’t have to make those decisions for us when we are no longer around to make them for ourselves – a task that could be upsetting for them. It can help to avoid potential family disputes by removing the uncertainty about who you want your estate to go to. Not making a will could potentially cause months – or even years – of problems for those left behind.

The importance of Will making was mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. For example: “It is not befitting for a Muslim who has something to make a Will of, to remain for two nights without having one’s last Will and testament written and kept ready with one” (Sahih al-Bukhari).

It’s never too early – or too late – to write a Will. One of the primary reasons people give for not writing one is that they “just never got round to it’. But if you have assets, such as a house, a business or savings, it’s a good idea to prepare a Will now to ensure that your loved ones are protected.  If you die without leaving a Will, or ‘intestate’, your wealth would be distributed in accordance with the English rules on intestacy. You can find out what this means on the Citizen’s Advice website, but in short, it means that the law will decide who gets what.

There are particular issues for Muslims around constructing a Will and dealing with tax issues after death. By taking the time to prepare your Will now, you will be able to ensure that these matters are resolved in an efficient, Sharia compliant manner. That way, you will have peace of mind and the confidence that your estate will be handled as you wish, in line with your faith. To avoid any difficulties and complexities when preparing your Will, it would be prudent to find a legal, professional Islamic will-writing service.

Don’t worry that once you’ve written a Will you can’t change it because you can update it throughout your life. In fact, the government positively encourages us to update our Will every five years and after any major change to our circumstances, such as getting married (which cancels any previous will) or moving house. 

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