MAKKAH, 5 November 2006 — The problem of families suffering from domestic disagreements is a widespread one, not just across the Kingdom but also across the world. Domestic issues need solutions not just for there to be a suitable family environment but also because Islam encourages social unity.
One such family is that of Faisal Abdul Fattah. He lives in Makkah and has an older brother and four sisters — they all used to live together at their parents’ home. “After my father’s death, our elder brother told us that he was now the owner of the house and that we had no share in the inheritance,” said a grief-stricken Abdul Fattah, who along with his sisters, was asked to leave.
However, Abdul Fattah, a retired school janitor, insisted on staying and so his brother went to court and managed to obtain title deeds for the house forcibly evicting him from the house.
“After we were kicked out from my dad’s home we had nowhere else to stay. I am married and have nine children and so we finally ended up living in a charity home,” said Abdul Fattah, adding: “My father told us before he died that my elder brother would look after us and take responsibility. He never told us that the ownership of the house would be transferred to him.”
Abdul Fattah said that before his father died, his brother would threaten to throw them out once their father died. “When he was alive I asked my father if he had given the house to my brother. He told me that he had written his will and left it with my brother and said that he would never throw me and my sisters out of the house,” said Abdul Fattah.
One of Abdul Fattah’s sisters is married and another is a divorcee with two children. “My other two sisters suffer from health problems and I take care of them financially with the SR2,426 I get from my retirement fund,” he added.
Seeking a solution to the problem after being kicked out, Abdul Fattah and his sisters went to court. “After many summons, my brother turned up in court. The judge asked him about the case and he told the judge that he had loaned our dad SR12,000 and that my father was unable to return the money and so he gave him the house in exchange,” said Abdul Fattah.
“This was a complete lie. My father would never have done such a thing. My brother stole the house and the money that was in the house. There was nearly SR25,000 there when my father died. He also took 65 Saudi gold coins that belonged to him,” said Abdul Fattah, adding: “My brother also took my father’s merchandises that he used to sell. There were four big boxes of goods that he has taken.”
In turn, the judge asked Abdul Fattah’s brother to swear thrice that he would tell the truth. “My brother on oath said that our father was a beggar who used to ask for money in the market and that my brother was really the one who was financially supporting the family. He also said that he was the one who really owned the house,” said Abdul Fattah.
“What is sad is that my brother took an oath in front of my cousins before we took the case to the court. He took an oath to say that the house belonged to our father and that we have a share in the house. He also promised that he would allow us to stay in the house as long as we wanted,” said Abdul Fattah.
However, according to Abdul Fattah, in the court his cousins refused to testify to what they had heard. “God cursed them for that. One of my cousins has been bedridden and sick for many years. Another was thrown out of his own home by his own son. The third died in his house. Nobody found him for two days by which time his body had rotten,” said Abdul Fattah. “This was the fate of those who hid the truth. I fear the same fate for my brother who swore three times and lied.”
