See original version at bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_inheritance_bwc.
COLLECTION | BWC compilations |
TITLE | Inheritance: Extracts from Four Tablets by Abdu'l-Bahá Concerning the Question of |
AUTHOR 1 | Abdu'l-Bahá |
CONTRIB 1 | Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, comp. |
DATE_THIS | n.d. |
NOTES | Also available as a nicely-formatted PDF, prepared by Romane Takkenberg. |
CROSSREF | https://bahai-library.com/uhj_wills_inheritance |
TAGS | Inheritance; Laws |
CONTENT |
1: O ye the relatives of that servant of God! Give thanks unto God that ye have been successful in distributing the inheritance in the manner laid down by Him. This is the first time in this great Cycle that an inheritance hath been so distributed. God willing, all will follow your example in carrying this law into effect. In this connection, it should be noted that the question of the will is of extreme importance: everyone should devote the most serious attention to drawing up a will, so that there should be no one who doth not have a will. This is one of the binding laws of this mighty Dispensation. We ask God to bestow a blessing upon your affairs so that they may prosper abundantly. Upon you be greeting and praise.
2: In truth, the wisdom of this perspicuous and most mighty ordinance is that no one should draw breath without a will. Observe how, in the absence of a will, the inheritance in its entirety is divided up, distributed and dispersed contrary to the wishes of the deceased; what difficulties and disagreements are thus engendered! The will, however, is the settler of every dispute, and the cause of ease for all, for in it the testator disposeth of his property in whatsoever manner he desireth. How agreeable it is for the estate in its entirety to be disposed of in accordance with the testator's will and pleasure! Observe ye how many people during their lifetime are fearful about what will happen when they pass away. Now, with this divine commandment -- the obligation and religious duty of drawing up a will before one's passing -- all these difficulties are resolved.
3: Today the English state claimeth to be the most enlightened in the world. Among the characteristics of the English people is that they restrict the property in its entirety to the first-born son. Their reasoning in this is that when an accumulation of wealth is divided up it is dispersed and lost. A certain individual, for instance, amasseth with untold pains a considerable fortune; then, upon his death, his fortune is divided up, and this division causeth it to be dispersed and scattered to the winds. If, however, it be restricted to the first-born son, it is preserved intact, and he careth for others. For this reason there are at present among the English people many households in which, for four or five centuries, the family fortune hath remained intact without having been distributed and dispersed. Our intention in this is not at all that it is commendable and praiseworthy to restrict the inheritance to the first-born son. Our intention is rather to show that in the laws of civilized countries the first-born son hath likewise been accorded a special distinction. By `first-born son' is intended the eldest of the surviving male children. The aim of assigning the residence exclusively to him is that at least the home of the deceased may be preserved intact, so that whoever among his family should either reside or visit there may be put in mind of him, and seek God's pardon and forgiveness for him. All these matters, however, are of secondary importance. That which is of primary and fundamental importance, and constituteth, by the express pronouncement of the holy text, a divinely established obligation, is the making of a will. Everyone must in his lifetime draw up a will, and dispose of his property in whatsoever manner he deemeth fit, while having due regard for the need to observe justice and equity. Under these conditions, there will be no one who hath not made a will, and inheritance will thus be dealt with according to the will of the deceased. The said provisions are applicable only when someone dies without having made a will. The testator, then, is free to bequeath the residence to whomsoever he wisheth; or, if he desireth, he may devise it to all his heirs jointly. No room hath now been left for misunderstanding, and `Abdu'l-Bahá hath elucidated the intention of the divine law. Let whomsoever wisheth turn towards it; whosoever wisheth not will turn away from it. In any case, Our function is to elucidate the law of God, and to explain the meaning of the compendious verses.
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VIEWS | 12280 views since 2001 (last edit UTC) |
PERMISSION | open copyright |
LANG THIS | English |
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