Q: My sister married thirty years ago. My brother-in-law worked as a schoolmaster. After the marriage, my brother-in-law gave my sister a good education until she became a government employee in KSRTC department of Karnataka. The brother-in-law later developed some disease, which even claimed his life. He did no have any children from my sister. We are two brothers and we have our mother still living with us. So we thought of seeking another bridegroom for her and in this way, we managed to get her married four years back in the year 1986. Eight years have passed since the second marriage and she is still without any children. My first brother-in law had taken an apartment on lease from the Housing Board in 1969, and the amount for this house was continuously paid off by my sister until 1992. One year back, my sister fell seriously ill and as a result she died on April 14, 1996.

Now the question is that: Are the funds accrued from her employment and the house for which she paid would be possessed by us or would go to my second brother-in-law? The house is still unregistered. Please explain the issue in detail.

Q: I got married on 10 Shawwal 1498 with Al-Hajj Abdul Kareem. My husband passed away on April 22, 1999. I have also completed the process of Iddah required for such women in Islam. The first wife of my husband had eleven children out of whom there is only one daughter alive. The deceased has two granddaughters, a brother and a sister. After the death of his first wife, he married me. He never had any children from me. Now I want to ask you about my inheritance as to what amount I will have from the left out property according to the teaching of the Qur’an and the Hadith?
 

Q: I own a house, which is estimated to be of value of thirty lakh. I have two sons and two daughters. After selling this house, how could it be distributed among these four children? What is the share to be given to the wife? You are requested to give the judgment according to the Islamic Shariah.

Q: Zaid had written in his life a will about his property that a certain part of his property should be given to the wife of his elder son and his grandsons, and his other property to his sons, the elder and younger ones. While he had willed about his third property that it should be given to his six daughters on the condition that after his death and his wife’s death, it must be given to the daughters. The deceased has left behind a wife, two sons, and seven daughters. The deceased had purchased even in her life a certain property to give to one of her daughters. The question is that: How should the property be distributed? The wife of the deceased wants to distribute the wealth according to the will among his daughters.
 

Q: Is it lawful to marry the sister of one’s stepmother in the Islamic Shariah? Please comment.