As for them, our evidence is the saying of Allah the Exalted: "But those who are related by blood are nearer to one another in the Book of Allah" (3), meaning they are more entitled to inheritance under the ruling of Allah the Exalted. The people of knowledge said: Inheritance in the early days of Islam was through a covenant (hilf). A man would say to another: "My blood is your blood, my wealth is your wealth; you support me and I support you, and you inherit from me and I inherit from you." They would conclude a covenant between them upon that, and they would inherit through it to the exclusion of kin. This is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Almighty: "And to those with whom your hands have made a covenant, give them their share" (4). This was then abrogated, and inheritance became based upon Islam and migration (hijrah). If a person had a child who did not migrate, the migrants would inherit from him instead, which is the meaning of His saying: "But those who believed and did not migrate, you have no duty of guardianship toward them until they migrate" (5). This was then abrogated by the saying of Allah the Exalted: "But those who are related by blood are nearer to one another in the Book of Allah" (3). Imam Ahmad (6) narrated, with his chain of transmission, from Sahl ibn Hunayf, that a man threw an arrow at a man and killed him, leaving only a maternal uncle. Abu Ubaydah wrote to Umar regarding this, and Umar wrote back to him: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say: 'The maternal uncle is the heir of one who has no heir.'" Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan (good) hadith. Al-Miqdad narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said: "The maternal uncle is the heir of one who has no heir; he pays the blood money on his behalf and inherits from him." Abu Dawud recorded it (7). In another version: "The patron of one who has no patron; he pays the blood money on his behalf and frees his captive" (8). If...