Question:
My mother-in-law has three daughters and no son. She owns 4.5 hundred of purchased land. As she has no son, many say that after her death, her cousins will own some part of her accumulated property. Is that true?
Answer:
In the case of Islamic inheritance law in Bangladesh, the distribution of property after a person’s death follows certain rules, especially when the deceased has no son.
- Inheritance Among Daughters: If your mother-in-law passes away, her three daughters will inherit the property. Since there is no son, the daughters will receive the entire property.
- Cousins’ Inheritance: The cousins of your mother-in-law (her paternal or maternal cousins) will not inherit her property unless she specifically designates them as heirs in a will. Under Islamic inheritance law, only direct descendants (children) or other defined relatives (like parents or siblings) inherit a person’s estate. Cousins do not automatically inherit.
- No Will: If your mother-in-law did not leave a will, the property will be divided equally among her daughters. The cousins of your mother-in-law will not have a right to her property, as they are not classified as direct heirs.