Sharia-Compliant Wills
At present, there are over 3.45 million Muslims living in the USA, which makes Islam the third largest religion in America. Over 70% of American Muslims are first or second-generation immigrants. Illinois, Virginia, and New York have the largest Islamic populations.
Islamic Inheritance Law
Laid out in the Qur’an, the Islamic law of inheritance is the foundation of Islamic society and religion. These ancient inheritance rules are so crucial in the Muslim society that Prophet Muhammad preached that they constitute half of all useful knowledge.
Despite living in the US and being subject to US laws and regulations, practicing American Muslims have to closely follow Muslim inheritance law when creating a will and dividing their estate among family members. Therefore, it’s crucial for American Muslims to create a Sharia-compliant will or an Islamic trust.
Why Do I Need a Sharia-Compliant Will?
Each individual needs to have an up-to-date will, as it allows you to decide who will care for your children and pets when you die, appoint a trusted individual to manage the money belonging to you and your underage children, and divide your assets according to the Islamic inheritance laws. Additionally, a will allows you to specify what you want your family to do with your body after death. If you do not have an Islamic will at the time of your death, all of the above will be decided by US probate courts according to the laws of the state you reside in (which are vastly different from the Islamic inheritance laws), meaning that you will have failed to fulfill your Islamic obligations.
Create an Islamic Will Online as an Alternative to Visiting a Lawyer
Just a few years ago, when you needed to make a will, you had to go to a lawyer’s office and pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a will. Due to their complexity, Islamic wills cost significantly more than secular documents, which meant that only the richest American Muslims could afford them. But today, the situation has changed dramatically due to the rise of online will-makers that allow you to make affordable estate-planning documents from the comfort of your home in under an hour. At present, there are two will-makers that offer Islamic will forms:
Shariawiz Islamic Will Writing Service
Created by licensed American lawyers in collaboration with Islamic law scholars, Shariawiz is an online will-making service where Muslims living in America can create a Sharia-compliant last will and testament, Islamic trust, financial power of attorney, and living will. Shariawiz is the only American company that offers trust-based estate planning services to Muslims. Their website effortlessly guides you through the process of creating an Islamic will, asking you easy questions in simple English and providing helpful tips and definitions along the way. Additionally, Shariawiz allows you to make unlimited free updates to the will created on their website. You can also find a detailed Shariawiz review on our website.
Islamic Inheritance Calculator
Shariawiz is the only company that has a certified Islamic inheritance calculator on its site. Having been tested and approved by a Sharia-compliant audit company, this calculator allows Muslims to quickly determine which portions of their estate should be inherited by each family member.
MyWassiyah Sharia Will Maker
MyWassiyah is an Islamic will-making service that allows Muslims in all 50 states to create Sharia-compliant wills tailored to their unique family situations and local laws. Additionally, this service can be used to create Sharia-compliant marital property agreements. MyWassiyah makes the will-making process extremely straightforward, offering legal and religious tips and explanations along the way.
All MyWassiyah customers also get access to an Asset Inventory and Document Organizer, which helps your family members easily access your will if you die unexpectedly. These features also make it simpler for customers who need to go back and update their own documents.
Advantages of Using Sharia-Compliant Online Will Makers
- Easy to use – all the questions are written in plain English, so anyone can understand them and give accurate answers.
- Quick – most online wills can be created in 20 minutes or less.
- Affordable – most online wills cost less than $100.
- Checked and approved by Islamic scholars – you don’t need to worry about failing to fulfill your Islamic obligations when you die.
- Safe – all the information you enter through online will making websites is encrypted to protect your privacy and ensure safety.
Final Words About Islamic Online Will Makers
The rules of Islam are very strict when it comes to inheritance. As a Muslim, you have many obligations to fulfill when you die, and the only way to ensure that those requirements are met is to create an Islamic last will and testament. While meeting with a lawyer to create your Islamic will can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, online will-making services make Sharia-compliant wills very affordable. At present, the two companies that offer Islamic will templates are MyWassiyah and Shariawiz. Both companies sell documents that are tailored to the laws of each US state and approved by Islamic law experts.
In addition to Islamic will writing services, there are numerous secular online will makers. Some American Muslims might be able to use those services to create their will while taking into account the Sharia law for inheritance. For instance, it might be possible to create a will using a non-Islamic will-maker and then have your will checked by an Islamic law expert or a lawyer who is experienced with Muslim wills.