Mohammedan Law: Muslim Widow With No Child Entitled To 1/4th Share In Deceased Husband’s Estate: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court held that a Muslim widow with no children is entitled to one-fourth share in her deceased husband’s estate, as per the rules of Sunni inheritance under Mohammedan Law. The Court upheld the Bombay High Court’s ruling, reiterating that succession opens immediately upon death and cannot be altered by later family arrangements or testamentary dispositions. The bench underscored that fixed Qur’anic shares ensure equitable distribution among heirs, and any attempt to reduce or modify these proportions is invalid. The decision reinforces certainty in inheritance rights of Muslim women.