Registering the nikaah according to the C.O.P contract

Q: Is it permissible to register the nikaah according to the C.O.P contract (community of property contract)? If one had registered the nikaah according to the C.O.P contract, what should he do?

A: The law of Shariah is that each spouse is the sole owner of his or her property. The C.O.P (community of property) contract contravenes this law of Shariah as well as the law of inheritance, as each spouse will be entitled to half the wealth of the other spouse in the event of death or divorce. Hence, it is not permissible to register the nikaah according to the C.O.P contract (community of property contract). At the time of death, if the estate is distributed according to the C.O.P contract, it will be impermissible as the other heirs will be deprived of their shares in the inheritance. Shari'ah has stipulated the share of each heir and to deprive any heir of his right in the inheritance is haraam.

If one had registered his nikaah according to the C.O.P contract (community of property contract), he should immediately try to change his marriage contract to an ANC contract (Ante-Nuptial Contract excluding the accrual system) which does not oppose the laws of Shari'ah. If this is difficult then he should prepare a will and clearly state in it that upon his demise, his estate should be wound and distributed in accordance to the Islamic laws of inheritance.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

یُوْصِیْكمُ اللّٰه فِیْۤ  اَوْلَادِكمْ لِلذَّكرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْاُنْثَیَیْنِ فَاِنْ كنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَیْنِ فَلَهنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَك وَاِنْ كانَتْ وَاحِدَة  فَلَها النِّصْفُ وَ لِاَبَوَیْه لِكلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَك اِنْ كانَ لَه  وَلَدٌ فَاِنْ لَّمْ  یَكنْ لَّه وَلَدٌ وَّ وَرِثَهۤ اَبَوٰه فَلِاُمِّه الثُّلُثُ فَاِنْ كانَ لَهۤ  اِخْوَة فَلِاُمِّه السُّدُسُ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّة یُّوْصِیْ بِهاۤ اَوْ دَیْنٍ اٰبَاؤُكمْ وَ اَبْنَاؤُكمْ لَا تَدْرُوْنَ اَیُّهمْ اَقْرَبُ  لَكمْ نَفْعًا فَرِیْضَة مِّنَ  اللّٰه اِنَّ اللّٰه كانَ عَلِیْمًا حَكیْمًا ﴿۱۱﴾ وَلَكمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَك اَزْوَاجُكمْ اِنْ لَّمْ یَكنْ لَّهنَّ وَلَدٌ فَاِنْ كانَ لَهنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكمُ الرُّبُعُ  مِمَّا تَرَكنَ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّة یُّوْصِیْنَ بِهاۤ اَوْ دَیْنٍ وَ لَهنَّ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكتُمْ  اِنْ لَّمْ یَكنْ لَّكمْ وَلَدٌ فَاِنْ كانَ لَكمْ وَلَدٌ فَلَهنَّ الثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكتُمْ مِّنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّة تُوْصُوْنَ بِهاۤ اَوْ دَیْنٍ وَاِنْ كانَ رَجُلٌ یُّوْرَثُ كلٰلَة اَوِ امْرَاَة وَّ لَهۤ اَخٌ اَوْ اُخْتٌ فَلِكلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهمَا السُّدُسُ فَاِنْ كانُوْۤا اَكثَرَ مِنْ ذٰلِك فَهمْ شُرَكاءُ فِی الثُّلُثِ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّة یُّوْصٰی بِهاۤ اَوْ دَیْنٍ غَیْرَ مُضَارٍّ وَصِیَّة  مِّنَ اللّٰه وَاللّٰه عَلِیْمٌ حَلِیْمٌ ﴿النساء: ١٢﴾

فللزوجات حالتان الربع بلا ولد والثمن مع الولد … فللزوج حالتان النصف والربع (الدر المختار 6/770)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)