The awareness of writing will: a case study in Melaka Tengah

The fighting for inheritance is not something new in the Malaysian culture. It is regularly shown in television about the story of siblings fight for the wealth left by their parents due to the improper wealth and the inheritance management. It may result from the absent of wills and only hope for the Faraidh system to settle the problem. Or it also can due from the existence of wills but the provisions of wills did not have clear guidance on to give the allocation for the inheritor. Therefore the will can be unclear for the inheritor because of this matter. Will writing has been known in the conventional financial planning as bequeath or arrangement, by making will, to give wealth to some body when one dies. Nowadays, there are industries or companies that provide this kind of services. Will in Islam is known as wasiyyah. It is very significant means to provide a flexible instrument in estate planning in Islam. Wassiyyah basically means one gives a gift to others in term of wealth, debt and beneficence of one's property after his death. It has been recommended by the Qur'an and hadith as well as practiced by the prophet's companions in their time. As God says in Qur'an "It is prescribed, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves any goods that he makes a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable usage; this is due from the Godfearing" (Qur'an 2:180). In another verse, God says "Those of you who die and leave widows should bequeath for their widows a year's maintenance and residence; but if they leave (the residence) , there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves, provided it is reasonable, and God is exalted in power, wise" (Qur'an 2:240). This study will determine whether people in Melaka Tengah have the awareness to write wills and determine certain variables could be the factor for the people aware to write a will.