An Exploration of the Father’s Disposition over the Property of a Mature Child from the Perspective of Islamic Jurisprudence and Iranian Law

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abdolsamad Aliabadi ¹

Hadi Khoshnoudi ²

Shoaib Salehi ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Fiqh and Law, University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Shahid Mahallati Higher Complex, Qom, Iran

³ M.A. Graduate, Department of Comparative Fiqh and Islamic Private Law, University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran

10.22067/jfiqh.2024.86769.1739

Abstract

A father’s disposition over the property of his child has been one of the fundamental issues from the dawn of human history to the present, and it has consistently appeared as a significant topic within divine legal traditions. Islam has likewise given particular attention to this matter and mentioned it in numerous rulings in Qurʾānic verses and narrations related to it. However, most of these rulings concern the manner in which a father may dispose of the property of his minor child due to his guardianship over the child. In contrast, the question of a father’s disposition over the property of his adult child without the latter’s permission remains subject to ambiguity. The central question of this study is whether a father may legitimately dispose of his adult child’s property without his/her consent. Jurists have expressed differing opinions. The majority permit such disposition under two conditions: first, that the father is in need; and second, that the son has not already provided for the father from his own wealth. Others allow the father’s use of the property restricted to where he faces the fear of destruction or death. Another group holds that if the father lacks the financial means to perform ḥajj, he may draw upon the property of his child. The fourth view permits such disposition unconditionally. The present study, employing a descriptive-analytical method, demonstrates that each of these views encounters significant difficulties, and that allowing disposition in cases of fear of destruction is not exclusive to the father but applies universally under the rule of necessity (ʾiżṭirār). In conclusion, a father’s disposition regarding the property of his adult child is no different from that of any other individual, and the father-child relationship does not grant the father any special privilege.

Keywords

The father’s disposition

property of the adult child

financial rights of parents

financial rights of children

Subjects

• Civil jurisprudence

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