Islamic inheritance is not automatic
U.S. probate courts follow state intestacy law, not Qur'anic fractions. Without a properly structured plan, your heirs may receive nothing like what Allah prescribed.
Islamic Estate Planning
Your family deserves a plan built on faith and law.
Many Muslim families in Texas and California have no plan to keep their home out of probate court — and no plan that follows Islamic inheritance. We help families address both.
Muslim Legacy Planning is the Islamic estate-planning service of McDaniel Estate Planning, PLLC. Legal services by Leonard McDaniel, licensed in Texas and California.
The Problem
Three things many Muslim families don't know.
The U.S. legal system was not designed with Islamic inheritance in mind. Without deliberate planning, what you intend to leave behind may not arrive as you intended.
Without a trust, your home goes through probate
Probate is a court process that takes control of your estate after death. It can take a year or more, cost thousands in fees, and put your family's affairs on public record — all while your loved ones are grieving. A properly funded trust is designed to avoid probate for the assets it holds.
Community property creates unique complications
Texas and California treat marital assets as jointly owned by default. This creates specific conflicts with Islamic ownership and inheritance that many plans don't address.
Plans
Two ways to protect your family's future.
Every plan is attorney-supervised and designed around Islamic inheritance principles.
Online
The Muslim Legacy Planning Guided Trust
An attorney-supervised Islamic revocable living trust for married couples with straightforward estates. Complete the guided interview online or with our assistance; an attorney reviews your information and documents before finalization.
- Attorney-drafted trust templates
- Distribution built around the Qur'anic shares
- Deed preparation & recording
- Email attorney access
$1,499 flat fee · attorney-supervised
Full-service · Attorney-led
Legacy Plan
Personally designed by your attorney. Includes a dedicated Heba Strategy Session, trust drafting, deed recording, wills, healthcare directives, and hands-on delivery.
- Dedicated Heba Strategy Session
- Custom trust + pour-over wills
- POAs & healthcare directives
- Deed recording with the county
- Physical binder shipped to your door
from $3,500
Schedule a Consultation Not ready yet? Start with the free Islamic will.
Not sure which plan fits your situation? Take the two-minute routing quiz → Compare all plans →
Giving back
In your plan, any charitable gifts are your own choice. Our list of Islamic charities is alphabetical and is not a recommendation.
For every Guided Trust purchased, McDaniel Estate Planning donates $75 of its own funds to Jabal Foundation's Legacy Waqf, which supports orphan development and ongoing meal distribution. The donation is made by the Firm and is not part of your fee. Leonard McDaniel serves without compensation as secretary of Jabal Foundation's board.
The Endowment Movement
From ad hoc fundraising to lasting endowment.
The American Muslim community has funded its institutions for decades through iftar dinners and Ramadan drives. That model sustains — it does not build. Waqf changes that.
The Family Waqf Plan: we draft the legal framework for your family waqf, built into your estate plan and designed for ongoing sadaqah jariyah.
Learn about the Family Waqf Plan Founding Attorney
Leonard McDaniel, JD
Attorney Credibility
Built at the intersection of fiqh and U.S. law.
Brother Leonard embraced Islam in 2014 while studying history at UCLA, graduating magna cum laude. Having come to Islam as an adult, Leonard understands firsthand how converts and lifelong Muslims alike navigate the intersection of faith, family, and American law. Inspired by a desire to serve his community with both faith and expertise, he earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Houston Law Center in 2017.
Since 2022, he has focused on estate planning for Muslim families — helping them protect their wealth through thoughtful legal work grounded in classical fiqh and Texas and California law.
2014
Embraced Islam
2017
UH Law Center, JD
TX · CA
Licensed
Community
What clients say.
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Client experience; not a guarantee of results. Legal outcomes depend on the circumstances, proper execution, and implementation.
FAQ
Questions families ask first.
Probate is a court process that takes control of your estate after you die. A judge — not your family — oversees who receives your home, accounts, and belongings. It commonly takes a year or longer, costs thousands of dollars in court and attorney fees, and everything becomes public record, all while your family is grieving.
A will expresses your wishes but must go through probate court before anyone receives anything — a process that can take months and is public record. A trust is a legal entity that holds your assets during your lifetime and distributes them privately and immediately when needed.
It can be, if you sign it with the formalities your state requires. In California, that means signing in front of two witnesses who are present at the same time. In Texas, it means signing in front of two witnesses who are at least 14; the instructions also explain the optional Texas self-proving affidavit. No attorney reviews your answers or the document.
The free will calculates shares using the Hanafi method and says so in the will. Some schools of Islamic law calculate certain family situations differently — for example, when a grandfather and siblings both survive. If you follow a different school, consider a consultation.
Start with the free Islamic will. It costs nothing, takes about ten minutes, and you complete it on your own.
No. We are licensed in Texas and California, and our services and free will are available only for those states.
Begin
Your family's legacy begins with one document.
Start with the free Islamic will — it costs nothing and takes about ten minutes. Add to it when you're ready.