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XVII
THE QURAN
the lifetime of his father or mother. Conditions governing this
kind of bequest have been defined.
15. Inheritance
God provides us with the most elaborate system of inheritance.
Each heir gets a part of it which is proportional to his kinship to
the testator and to his responsibilities. The rulings governing this
subject are many and rich in implications, but are detailed in the
fiqh (jurisprudence) books.
16. Oaths
It is not allowed to swear except by one of God's Beautiful
Names and Attributes. It is better, however, to avoid taking oaths
whenever it is possible. The expiation for failure to honour an
oath is feeding or clothing ten of the poor, or fasting for three
days.
The punishment for dishonesty in taking an oath or swearing
while giving a false testimony is proportional to the harm caused
by such an oath to others. Expiation in this case does not exempt
from making up for the harm caused.
17. The Mandatory Testament to Relatives
It is mandatory on those able to provide expense for their
relatives who are poor. It is left to the judge to decide the
relative's right to it and its value.