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Beneficiary Designation

A named recipient on a registered account or insurance policy — which passes outside the will.

Draft — pending review. This page has been prepared but has not yet been reviewed by a Canadian estates lawyer or a qualified scholar. Treat it as a starting point for questions, not as advice you should act on.

A named recipient on a registered account or insurance policy — which passes outside the will.

In Islamic law

A designation that sends the largest asset in an estate to one person can defeat a faraid distribution completely, even where the will is drafted perfectly. Anyone intending Islamic shares needs designations reviewed alongside the will, not after it.

In Canadian law

RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, pensions and life insurance with a named beneficiary pass directly to that person, outside the estate and outside probate. The will does not control them. This is among the most common and consequential estate-planning errors.

Across the madhahib

No significant difference between the four Sunni schools is recorded on this point in the sources reviewed. Where a specific case turns on it, ask a qualified scholar rather than relying on a general summary.

Canadian legal detail

Treadstone Law, an Ontario firm with a wills and estates practice, covers the Canadian side of this in more depth:

Important

This entry is general information, not legal or religious advice. Inheritance turns on the exact family circumstances. Confirm Canadian law with a lawyer in your province, and any religious ruling with a qualified scholar.