Giving Man Inheritance Double the Share of the Woman is Fair - Dr Zakir Naik
Dr. Zakir Naik argues that the Islamic inheritance law giving men double the share of women is just, not unjust, because men bear greater financial obligations. He contends that women are actually more financially secure despite receiving less inheritance, as they have no financial burdens placed on them.
Summary
In this short clip, Dr. Zakir Naik addresses the common criticism that Islamic inheritance law is unfair to women because men receive double the inheritance share. He argues the opposite — that equal shares would actually constitute injustice.
His core argument is that men in Islam are financially obligated to support their wives, children, and potentially their parents. Because of these mandatory financial responsibilities placed exclusively on men, giving them a larger inheritance share is proportionally fair. He references Surah Nisa, Chapter 4, Verse 40, which speaks to Allah's justice.
Naik concludes that because women bear no financial obligations under Islamic law, they are actually in a more financially secure position despite inheriting less. The woman who inherits half of her male counterpart's share keeps that wealth entirely for herself, whereas the man must use his larger share to fulfill his financial duties to dependents.
Key Insights
- Naik argues that equal inheritance shares for men and women would itself be unjust, because men carry mandatory financial burdens — supporting wives, children, and parents — that women do not.
- Naik claims Allah is described as just in 'the least degree,' citing Surah Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 40, using this as doctrinal backing for why the unequal inheritance rule reflects divine fairness.
- Naik asserts that financial burden is explicitly not laid on the shoulders of women in Islam, which he presents as the foundational reason for the differing inheritance shares.
- Naik contends that despite receiving half the inheritance of their male counterparts, women are actually 'more financially secured' because their inheritance is theirs to keep entirely.
- Naik frames the double share for men not as a privilege but as a compensation for mandatory financial obligations, recontextualizing the larger share as a liability rather than a benefit.
Topics
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