Do they have the right to declare their father legally incompetent and deny him access to his wealth, because he has grown old and senile, and he squanders the money?

Question: 205284

My father is eighty-four years old; sometimes he is in his right mind and sometimes he does not recognize his children. Some people from Oman started to visit him, and they bring him some drinks which he buys from them for a large amount of money, that may reach as much as one million.

Do his children have the right to declare him legally incompetent and deny him access to his wealth?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The
majority of scholars regard it as permissible to declare an adult man
legally incompetent and deny him access to his wealth, if he is not of
sound mind and cannot take proper care of his wealth, or if he will waste
it, or he has lost his mind, or he is mentally ill.

The
one who does not handle wealth properly is regarded as foolish or
feebleminded by the fuqaha’, because he wastes money and spends it
inappropriately, in ways contrary to those indicated by Islamic teachings
and common sense.

Based
on that, wastefulness that stems from foolishness is a valid cause for
denying access to wealth, according to the majority of fuqaha’, the Maalikis,
Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis. It is also the view of our two companions, Abu
Yoosuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and is the basis of fatwas issued by
them.

End
quote from al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 4/194

It
says also in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 17/92: There is no difference
of opinion among the fuqaha’ regarding declaring an insane person legally
incompetent and denying him access to his wealth, whether his insanity is
permanent or temproary, and whether it is strong or mild.

Similar to one who is insane is the man who has grown old and senile to such
an extent that he cannot handle his wealth or organize his affairs
properly.

Ibn
Qudaamah said: Ahmad said: The elderly man who has lost his mind should be
declared legally incompetent and be denied access to his wealth; his case is
like that of one who is insane, because as a result of that he is unable to
handle his wealth in a proper manner and protect it. Hence he is akin to the
minor and feebleminded.

End
quote from al-Mughni, 6/610

Al-‘Imraani
said: The evidence for it being allowed to declare the feebleminded, the
minor and the insane legally incompetent and deny them access to their
wealth is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning): “But if the debtor is of poor understanding, or weak, or
is unable himself to dictate, then let his guardian dictate in justice” [al-Baqarah
2:282]. “Of poor understanding” includes the one who squanders his money
and the one who is denied access to his wealth because he is a minor.

“Weak” includes the elderly and senile, minors, and the insane.

Allah, may He be exalted, tells us that their guardians should act on their
behalf with regard to their rights and duties, which indicates that it is
allowed to declare them legally incompetent and deny them access to their
wealth.

End
quote from al-Bayaan fi Madhhab al-Imam ash-Shaafa‘i, 6/207

Ibn
Abi Shaybah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in his Musannaf
(6/291) that ‘Abd al-Malik ibn al-Mugheerah said: Najdah wrote to Ibn
‘Abbaas to ask him about the old man who has lost his mind or become senile.
He wrote back to him, saying: If he has lost his mind or become senile, he
is to be denied access to his wealth.

Al-Mirdaawi
said: al-Maroodhi said: I think that the son should declare his father
legally incompetent and deny him access to his wealth if he spends
extravagantly, or wastes it on immoral pursuits.

End
quote from al-Insaaf, 5/333

Based
on that:

If it
becomes apparent that your father has lost his mind or the way he conducts
his financial matters is objectionable, then there is nothing wrong with you
referring the matter to the Islamic judge (qaadi) to examine his case and
rule whether or not he is to be declared legally incompetent and denied
access to his wealth, according to what the qaadi finds from his examination
of the case and the comments of experienced specialists.

That
is because declaring a person legally incompetent and denying him access to
his wealth is a judicial matter that can only be done on the basis of a
ruling from the Islamic judge, as is the view of the majority of scholars.

Ibn
Qudaamah said: No one can declare a person legally incompetent and deny him
access to his wealth except the judge (qaadi). This is the view of ash-Shaafa‘i…
because spending extravagantly may vary and is a subjective matter, and each
case must be decided on its own merits. Therefore, it cannot be decided
except by the opinion of a qaadi.

End
quote from al-Mughni, 6/610

See
also al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 17/96-97

And
Allah knows best.

Source:

Islam Q&A

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