Inheritance Rights of Women Under Islamic Law in Katsina State: A Practical Assessment

Islamic law prescribes specific inheritance shares for women that are intended to balance female beneficiaries' rights with broader family property responsibilities, yet empirical evidence from northern Nigerian communities suggests systematic denial or underpayment of women's prescribed shares. This study practically assesses the realisation of women's inheritance rights under Islamic law in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive case study methodology is adopted, combining analysis of selected Sharia court decisions involving inheritance disputes from 2015 to 2022 with focus group discussions involving 60 women beneficiaries and widows across three local government areas. The study examines the doctrinal basis of female inheritance entitlements under Maliki jurisprudence as applied in Katsina, the procedural mechanisms for enforcement, and the sociocultural barriers that prevent practical realisation of these rights. Available literature from North West Nigeria identifies patriarchal customary practices that override Sharia inheritance rules as the dominant impediment, often with informal community mediation suppressing formal legal claims. The Al-Mirath (Islamic inheritance) rules within the Hanafi-Maliki comparative tradition provide the evaluative doctrinal framework. Findings are expected to reveal significant divergence between prescribed legal entitlements and actual inheritance outcomes for women. Recommendations address awareness campaigns, simplified Sharia court access for women, and community-level Qadi dispute resolution protocols. Keywords: inheritance rights, women, Islamic law, Katsina State, North West Nigeria.