LHC Rules Non-Muslims Cannot Inherit from Muslim Relatives

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that non-Muslims are not entitled to inherit from the estate of a Muslim relative, either as successors or predecessors, Dawn Newspaper reported yesterday.

Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal issued this decision on Saturday affirming the judgments of two lower courts regarding the inheritance of 83 kanals of land in Gojra tehsil, Toba Tek Singh district.

The case arose after a Muslim grandson contested the inheritance, claiming that one of the beneficiaries was an Ahmadi and thus ineligible to inherit from their deceased Muslim father. The LHC upheld the lower courts’ decisions, citing Sharia law, which states that a deceased Muslim’s estate cannot be inherited by a non-Muslim. Justice Iqbal referenced a Hadith stating, “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever and a disbeliever does not inherit from a Muslim.”

The court concluded that the findings of fact did not warrant any interference, dismissing the petition against the previous rulings.