How to gift one's property in his life

Respected Mufti Sahib,
I humbly submit the following:
I have six children — five daughters and a son. Four daughters and the son are married. One daughter remains unmarried as she is mentally disabled.
My son is married and has four children. He lives in my house, but he maintains a separate arrangement for food and daily expenses.
Respected Sir, I wish to know:
1. After my death, who will receive the rent from the house?
Currently, the house is occupied by me, my wife, my disabled daughter, my son, and his wife and children.
At present, my wife is my second wife. These six children are from my first wife. I have no children with my second wife.
2. After my death:
• What share will this second wife have in the rent?
• What amount should my son contribute towards utility bills (gas, electricity)?
• What will be my wife’s share in the rent and in case of sale of the house?
• What share will my mentally disabled daughter have?
She cannot even tell her address due to her condition.
If someone agrees to marry her in this condition, what steps should we take?
3. Regarding the house:
• Before or after its sale, how long can my (second) wife stay in the house?
4. I also have cash savings:
I have a lakh (100,000 PKR) or more in savings.
Should I transfer it to my disabled daughter’s name or her brother’s name, with instructions that after my death, this money be used for my disabled daughter’s care?
I also wish to write a will (wasiyyah). Kindly guide me on the Islamic procedure for preparing a Shari‘ah-compliant will.
I would be very grateful for your guidance.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

It should be understood that every person, during their healthy life and before entering into a terminal illness, is the sole owner of their wealth and property. They are free to dispose of it as they wish, and they are not obligated to distribute it during their lifetime.
Now, if someone—during their healthy life and without any compulsion or coercion, solely out of free will and happiness—wants to distribute their wealth and property among their relatives, then according to Shari‘ah, this is also permissible. This distribution is not considered inheritance but rather a gift.
The preferred and recommended method for this is:
• The person should retain a portion of their wealth/property for their own needs for the remainder of their life, according to a cautious estimation.
• Then they may distribute the remaining wealth/property equally among all their children — whether from the first wife or the second wife — and also to their current wife.
• A divorced wife has no rightful claim in such a situation according to Shari‘ah, but if the person wishes to give her something, that is not prohibited either.
Important Note:
After the distribution, each individual must be formally given possession of their share so that the gift (hibah) is Islamically valid and complete.
Merely assigning names on paper is not sufficient.
It is better to treat all children equally, as they are all offspring.
No one should be given more or less than the others.
However, based on considerations like:
• their service to the parent,
• financial need,
• religious commitment, etc.,
a parent is allowed to give one child more than the others.
But depriving any rightful heir completely without a valid reason is a sin.
On Inheritance and Death:
Since life and death are uncertain — no one knows who will pass away first — it is incorrect to assume that a specific person will die first. However, if someone wants to distribute wealth during their lifetime, it is allowed, using the same method described above — by formally handing over ownership to each recipient.
Regarding Marriage of the Mentally Disabled Daughter:
If someone wants to marry this mentally disabled girl in her current condition, and if she is capable of marriage, then without a doubt, the marriage is permissible. However, in such a case, the girl’s family and future in-laws, especially the husband, must be fully informed about the nature and extent of her condition, so that there are no complications or misunderstandings later.
Regarding the House:
If the heirs do not wish to sell the house with mutual agreement, each heir is permitted to benefit from their share proportionately, including receiving rent according to their share.
Preventing any heir from doing so is not permissible.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

كما في حاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار): (قوله كما حققه مفتي دمشق إلخ) أقول: حاصل ما ذكره في الرسالة المذكورة أنه ورد في الحديث أنه - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال «سووا بين أولادكم في العطية ولو كنت مؤثرا أحدا لآثرت النساء على الرجال» (4/ 444)۔
و في الدر المختار: و في الخانية لا بأس بتفضيل بعض الأولاد في المحبة لأنها عمل القلب، وكذا في العطايا إن لم يقصد به الإضرار، وإن قصده فسوى بينهم يعطي البنت كالابن عند الثاني وعليه الفتوى اھ (5/ 696)۔
و فى الفتاوى الهندية: ولو وهب رجل شيئا لأولاده في الصحة وأراد تفضيل البعض على البعض (إلی قوله) لا بأس به إذا لم يقصد به الإضرار وإن قصد به الإضرار سوى بينهم يعطي الابنة مثل ما يعطي للابن وعليه الفتوى هكذا في فتاوى قاضي خان وهو المختار كذا في الظهيرية اھ (4/ 391)۔
وكما في الدر المختار: (وتتم) الهبة (بالقبض) الكامل (ولو الموهوب شاغلا لملك الواهب لا مشغولا به) والأصل أن الموهوب إن مشغولا بملك الواهب منع تمامها وإ ن شاغلا لا، (5/ 690)۔
و في الدر المختار: (تصح) (إجارة حانوت) أي دكان ودار بلا بيان ما يعمل فيها) لصرفه للمتعارف (و) بلا بيان (من يسكنها) (6/ 27)۔
كما في الفتاوى الهندية: ولو وكل رجلا أن يزوجه امرأة فزوجه امرأة عمياء أو شلاء أو رتقاء أو مجنونة أو صغيرة تجامع أو لا تجامع حرة أو أمة ليست بكفء له اھ (1/ 295)۔
و في الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته للزحيلي: لقول النبي: «المسلم أخو المسلم، لا يحل لمسلم باع من أخيه بيعاً، وفيه عيب، إلا بينه له» اھ (4/ 3071)۔