It should be understood that a missing person (Mafqood is, in principle, considered alive with regard to his entitlement to inheritance until his death is established according to Shariah or law, or a court declares him deceased.
As long as his death has not been confirmed and he has not reached an age at which people of his generation would generally no longer be alive (i.e., approximately sixty years from the time of his birth), his right to inheritance remains intact.
In the case mentioned, since the father’s death has neither been established according to Shariah nor legally declared, he will be entitled to his share of the deceased son’s estate.
Therefore, after deducting the permissible and reasonable funeral and burial expenses, settling the deceased’s outstanding debts, and fulfilling any valid bequest (waṣiyyah) made in favour of a non-heir, up to one-third of the estate, the remaining estate will be divided into four (4) equal shares:
Widow: One share, i.e. 25%.
Mother: One share, i.e. 25%.
Missing father: The remaining two shares, i.e. 50%,
will be reserved for him.
If it is later established that the missing father had in fact passed away and the only heirs of the deceased son were his wife and mother, then the additional two shares (50%) that had been reserved for the missing father will also be given to the mother.
In that case, the widow will receive 25% and the mother will receive 75% of the estate.
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دلائل:
الفتاوى الهندية: (300/2، ط: دار الفکر)
وَلَا يَرِثُ الْمَفْقُودُ أَحَدًا مَاتَ فِي حَالِ فَقْدِهِ، وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِنَا ” لَا يَرِثُ الْمَفْقُودُ أَحَدًا ” أَنَّ نَصِيبَ الْمَفْقُودِ مِنْ الْمِيرَاثِ لَا يَصِيرُ مِلْكًا لِلْمَفْقُودِ، أَمَّا نَصِيبُ الْمَفْقُودِ مِنْ الْإِرْثِ فَيَتَوَقَّفُ، فَإِنْ ظَهَرَ حَيًّا عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مُسْتَحِقًّا، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَظْهَرْ حَيًّا حَتَّى بَلَغَ تِسْعِينَ سَنَةً فَمَا وُقِفَ لَهُ يُرَدُّ عَلَى وَرَثَةِ صَاحِبِ الْمَالِ يَوْمَ مَاتَ صَاحِبُ الْمَالِ، كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي۔
فتح القدير: (149/6، ط: دار الفکر)
وَاخْتَارَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَامِدٍ أَنَّهَا تِسْعُونَ سَنَةً لِأَنَّ الْغَالِبَ فِي أَعْمَارِ أَهْلِ زَمَانِنَا هَذَا، وَهَذَا لَا يَصِحُّ إلَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ: إنَّ الْغَالِبَ فِي الْأَعْمَارِ الطِّوَالِ فِي أَهْلِ زَمَانِنَا أَنْ لَا تَزِيدَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، نَعَمْ الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ الَّذِينَ اخْتَارُوا سِتِّينَ بَنَوْهُ عَلَى الْغَالِبِ مِنْ الْأَعْمَارِ. وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ الِاخْتِلَافَ مَا جَاءَ إلَّا مِنْ اخْتِلَافِ الرَّأْيِ فِي أَنَّ الْغَالِبَ هَذَا فِي الطُّولِ أَوْ مُطْلَقًا، فَلِذَا قَالَ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ: الْأَلْيَقُ بِطَرِيقِ الْفِقْهِ أَنْ لَا يُقَدَّرَ بِشَيْءٍ لِأَنَّ نَصْبَ الْمَقَادِيرِ بِالرَّأْيِ لَا يَكُونُ وَهَذَا هُوَ قَوْلُ الْمُصَنِّفِ الْأَقْيَسُ إلَخْ،وَلَكِنْ نَقُولُ: إذَا لَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَقْرَانِهِ يُحْكَمُ بِمَوْتِهِ اعْتِبَارًا لِحَالِهِ بِحَالِ نَظَائِره، وَهَذَا رُجُوعٌ إلَى ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ. قَالَ الْمُصَنِّفُ (وَالْأَرْفَقُ) أَيْ بِالنَّاسِ (أَنْ يُقَدَّرَ بِتِسْعِينَ) وَأَرْفَقُ مِنْهُ التَّقْدِيرُ بِسِتِّينَ. وَعِنْدِي الْأَحْسَنُ سَبْعُونَ لِقَوْلِهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «أَعْمَارُ أُمَّتِي مَا بَيْنَ السِّتِّينَ إلَى السَّبْعِينَ» فَكَانَتْ الْمُنْتَهَى غَالِبًا.
Allah Almighty knows best,
Darul ifta Al-Ikhlas Karachi