Many of us assume our loved ones will be taken care of when we’re gone. But without a plan, the reality can be far more complicated — and painful — than we’d like to think.
Ustazah Nuurunnuur is an alumna of Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah and holds a degree in Comparative Religion and Communications from the International Islamic University Malaysia. She brings together her grounding in Islamic thought and her passion for communications in her work at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), where she serves as a Manager in the Legacy Planning Development unit – developing public education and community programmes that empower Muslims in Singapore to plan their legacy in alignment with Islamic values.
Most of us don’t like thinking about death – it feels distant, uncomfortable and maybe even a little taboo. And yet, the Prophet s.a.w. reminded us:
الْكَيِّسُ مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ وَعَمِلَ لِمَا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ
“A wise person is one who takes account of himself and works for what comes after death.”
(Sunan At-Tirmidhi)
Planning for what we leave behind isn’t pessimism. It’s an act of wisdom and love – one of the meaningful ways we take care of the people who matter most to us.
Here’s something worth sitting with: in a poll conducted on MuslimSG’s Instagram, 63% of respondents had never heard of Islamic Legacy Planning (ILP); meaning about 1 in 3 knew what ILP is. And among those who were curious to learn more, faraid remained the top area of interest at 48%, followed by family protection and guardianship at 33%, and legacy giving at 14%. While this was a small poll of about 30 responses, the findings suggest that awareness of ILP remains limited, and that many Muslims may not yet realise that planning for one’s legacy goes beyond faraid – the Islamic law governing how a Muslim’s assets are distributed after death.
So, what happens when a Muslim passes away without any plan in place? The answer might be harder to hear than you’d expect.
1. Your assets are frozen and your family has to wait
This is the part most people don’t picture when they think about leaving things behind. When someone passes away without a CPF nomination or insurance nomination, asset distribution doesn’t happen automatically. It doesn’t even happen quickly. For CPF savings with no nomination, the funds are held by the Public Trustee’s Office. Your family will need to apply for an Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court, gather documents, and navigate a legal process – one that can take up to six months, or longer if the family situation is complex.
During that time, your family may have no access to funds. Daily expenses and bills do not pause.
A CPF nomination can cut that timeline down to roughly four weeks, with funds disbursed directly to your nominees via PayNow. Four weeks versus six months isn’t just a timeline difference. For a family where one person was the sole breadwinner, that difference means a lot.
2. Your estate will be distributed according to faraid- whether or not it reflects your wishes
Faraid is the Islamic law of inheritance, and under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), it’s the default framework for all Muslims in Singapore. If you pass without a wasiat (Islamic will) or nomination, your assets will be distributed according to faraid shares – regardless of your intentions or your family’s actual circumstances.
Faraid is divinely ordained, and there is real wisdom in that structure – this article is not arguing against it.
At the same time, thoughtful planning in one’s lifetime can help ensure that loved ones are better supported and able to navigate responsibilities more smoothly after one’s passing. What if you have a daughter who has been the one managing the household for years while your son lives overseas and is financially comfortable? What if your husband is the sole earner in the family and has male siblings? Faraid distributes shares based on lineage and relationship, not on need, contribution, or context. Without planning, you have no way to address any of that. This is also why Islam permits a wasiat of up to one-third of one’s estate – though it is generally intended for those who are not already entitled to inherit under faraid.
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