A trustee paying the value of bequest if they did not fulfill the will

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Q 1: When my father died he bequeathed that I should give one-third of the sheep from his property in charity on behalf of himself and his mother. I have not fulfilled this bequest due to my lack of knowledge, and I have already sold the sheep three years after his death. What should I do?

A: You are obligated to give the one-third of the sheep that your father bequeathed or their value in charity. As you have not given anything in charity and you have sold the sheep and spent the money you got for them, you must pay the value of the one-third of the sheep from your own money to execute your father’s will. This is because executing a will takes precedence over distributing inheritance. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.