Need for Two Witnesses - Ramadhan Reflections 2019 [Day 2]

يَا   أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ   حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ آخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ... ١٠٦ O you who believe! When death comes to one of you (and you wish   to make your will) let there be present among you, at the time of making the will,   two just persons from among you or two others from among the outsiders,   in case you are journeying in the country and the calamity of death overtakes   you… [1] Quran, Sūrah al-Māʾida (5), verse 106. Commentary NUMBER 2: Due to contemporary laws in many secular countries and the fights and arguments which can result after the death of a loved one, we are required to write a will and ensure that things are spelled out as clearly as possible to our inheritors.  Islam has made it well-defined by way of the Quran and the aḥādīth of the Ahlul Bayt on how to write a will, who gets what and how one’s estate must be divided.  One major benefit of writing a will is that we are able to personally direct 1/3 of our estate and indicate where we want it to be used - either to tie up loose ends in our life that we did not complete, such as missed prayers or fasts, which charity to donate to, and for other purposes which we feel most passionate about – with the goal of continuing to receive a reward long after we have passed away.  This verse makes it clear that even when we are about to die, we still have an opportunity to make our last will and testament and that death is a reality which we will all encounter. The verse also shows us to what precision Islam regards the laws that we need to have TWO witnesses to corroborate the will – but not two ordinary people, rather they must be JUST and FAIR.  The verse also shows us that to be fair and truthful are requirements that are necessary throughout our lives, and that even if wealth or family come in the way and try to get us to break the laws, people of integrity will never let others influence their decision making process.  The benefits of having a will go far beyond gifting others with property, in fact the traditions tell us that when we have a will, Allah will actually use this in our favour and we will be granted a longer life, and that if we are fair in the division of our estate, then we will get the reward as if we donated all of our wealth in charity while we were alive! With all of these benefits, it only makes sense to do the right thing and write our will. Point of Reflection Since death is a reality that we will all face, young or old – and a cursory glance at our community graveyards is a clear indicator that death knows no age, we must always be ready to meet our Creator AND ensure that we have fulfilled our responsibilities to our loved ones in the way of writing our last will and testament.