Bank giving public free Islamic wills

AL BARAKA Bank is offering a free Shariah-compliant will service to members of the public to ensure clients have wills in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Shariah-compliant will is an Islamic will drawn up in accordance with Islamic principles, ensuring that the wishes of the person who the will is made for is followed in accordance with their religious obligations. This is done to avoid their estate being administered and distributed under South African law.

Rooksana Safaat, a senior manager at the legal department of Al Baraka Bank, said the service was being encouraged more now, with the Covid-19 pandemic, to ensure clients had wills in place in the event of an untimely and unforeseen death.

“The bank encourages freedom of testation and the client is free to appoint any executor of their choice, including the bank.

“Should the bank be appointed as the executor, the bank will retain the original will in its safe custody and deal with the administration of the estate on the client’s death, affording the client peace of mind that his affairs are safely entrusted,” she said.

Safaat said the cut-off date for the free service was October 31, as the bank annually supported the Wills Week initiative in September.

“In light of the surge in the Covid-19 infection rate and the increase in deaths in South Africa, we deem it to be a bank and humanitarian responsibility at this critical time to play a vital role in encouraging all members of the public to make a will.

“We could see this initiative being extended beyond October 31, to ensure that those without wills benefit from this free service.”

Safaat said.

She said any member of the public could call any of the bank’s branches and collect a free Shariahcompliant will or download the will from its website www.albaraka.co.za.