Gifting properties before death

Question ID: 
2143
LeC***@outlook.com asks:

Question

Assalaamu alaikum,

Due to some reasons our grandmother was adopted before her marriage and has never lived with her sisters. All of them are now old. My grandmother owns a house and she does not want it to go to her sisters after her death. She wants to give it to us before her death. Is this something acceptable?

Riaz and Rehana

Answer

Wa alaikumussalaam wrb.

It is permissible for her to give her property away before she dies. However, some conditions have to be observed in order for this to be acceptable in Shariat.

Firstly, it should NOT be done with the intention of depriving the actual heirs from their rights of inheritance.

Secondly, the gift should be executed when she is still in good health and not when she is showing any sign of death or on her death bed.

Thirdly, the house or property should be given to you people officially and physically as well.

Officially means that the property should be transferred as per government recognition and all the paperworks and documents that makes you people the owner of it should be completed in her lifetime.

Physically means that once you have been made the official owner, your grandmother has to move out of the property along with her belongings and hand over the house key to you. The easiest way to do it is to give the property with all what it contains by moving out of the house empty handed for just a little while then get back inside again, but this time it should be with your permission and consent as she is no more the owner.

Fourthly, if the property/house is being given to more than one person (as it is understood from your statement, i quote.."she wants to give it to us ".) then everyone’s share of the house should be defined and mentioned clearly in the contract.

Answered by:
(Mf) Uthmaan
For the Jamiatul Ulama of Mauritius

"وفي الفتاوى العتابية : ولو وهبه فارغًا وسلم مشغولًا لم يصح ولايصح قوله: أقبضها أو سلمت إليك إذا كان الواهب فيه أو أهله أو متاعه". (14/431، الفتاوى التاتارخانیة

’’ يشترط القبض قبل الموت ‘‘
(رد المحتار علی الدر المختار ، کتاب الھبۃ ، جلد 8 ، صفحہ 573 ، مطبوعہ کوئٹہ۔

"(وتتم) الهبة (بالقبض) الكامل (ولو الموهوب شاغلاً لملك الواهب لا مشغولاً به) والأصل أن الموهوب إن مشغولاً بملك الواهب منع تمامها، وإن شاغلاً لا، فلو وهب جرابًا فيه طعام الواهب أو دارًا فيها متاعه، أو دابةً عليها سرجه وسلمها كذلك لاتصح، وبعكسه تصح في الطعام والمتاع والسرج فقط؛ لأنّ كلاًّ منها شاغل الملك لواهب لا مشغول به؛ لأن شغله بغير ملك واهبه لايمنع تمامها كرهن وصدقة؛ لأن القبض شرط تمامها وتمامه في العمادية".
(ج؛ 5/ص؛690/کتاب الھبۃ، ط ؛ سعید)