20 years ago, my father sent me overseas. During that time I worked hard and Allah SWT blessed me financially. I sent a lot of money back home to help my family and with this help, they were able to move up financially. A bigger home was purchased, my siblings were educated and married using this money. It was also used for regular living expenses. I personally used my earnings to acquire assets, build businesses, and a house for myself. Both of my parents have died and now my siblings are claiming that everything I have ever earned or have acquired from my earnings are their inheritance. They claim that everything I have earned is due to my father sending me abroad so whatever came from that decision belongs to our father and since he has died, it is inheritance. They use the Hadith “You and your wealth belong to your father” (reported by Ibn Maajah) to justify this. My father himself never made any claim to my wealth in his life and my mother died before I ever went abroad. Also, none of my siblings are in any kind of financial need. Alhumdulillah, everyone is living an above average and comfortable lifestyle. Are they correct in claiming that my assets and earnings are their inheritance?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Your money (wealth) has nothing to do with your father’s inheritance. Rather, it belongs to you, and your father’s heirs do not have the right to claim it on the pretext that your father ordered you to travel and work abroad. This is nonsense that no wise person would say.

The Hadeeth that reads, "You and your wealth belong to your father" does not mean that the father owns his son’s wealth (property); it is for this reason that if the child dies, his inheritance will be divided among his heirs, including his father, but his father does not appropriate and take full possession of all the inheritance without the others.

The Hadeeth indicates the permission for the father to benefit from his son’s wealth if he needs it and in a way that does not harm the son, but it does not mean that the father owns all of his son’s wealth.

Allah Knows best.