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women and islamic law 229shares, however, the individual has neither the power nor the authorityto change the amount payable; it is ‘beyond his or her reach’.If we apply this to the question of bequests and inheritance, itwould be correct to say that the latter is unspecified whereas theformer is specified. On the one hand, Allah ordered a system ofdistribution of wealth that is universally applicable to everyoneworldwide and where the individual share is given in the Book in verygeneral terms (e.g., one-half or one-third of the legacy). On the otherhand, Allah also prescribed bequests by which people can determinethe distribution of their wealth individually, and by which they canspecify the exact amount of individual shares. Whereas bequests arebased on individual circumstances, the laws of inheritance are definedby much more abstract criteria for which, we propose, the applicationof analytical geometry, mathematical analysis, and set theory—in addition to basic arithmetics—is absolutely vital.We will see that the Book contains rather rigorous legal injunctionsby which Allah defined the distribution of inheritance according toblood relationship and degrees of kinship. For bequests, however, nosuch connection to kinship is prescribed. It is up to the testator todetermine the beneficiaries of his or her legacy, be they close relativesor unrelated acquaintances, welfare institutions, charity organisations,cultural projects, or others. After reading the relevant versesin the Book, it is apparent that a greater number of people may benefitfrom bequests than from inheritance laws. Inheritance laws onlyconsider those eligible who are next of kin within an extended familywhile bequests are not and therefore reach more people in society.BequestA bequest regulates the distribution of money or property accordingto the will of a testator who will define the amount of each share tobe bequeathed (quantity) as well as the method of distribution (quality).A great variety of different people and institutions which do notbelong to the family of the testator may receive bequests, and forthis reason bequests have more weight in the Book than inheritancelaws. Since bequests are not confined by fixed rules, testators enjoygreat flexibility, thus may distribute their wealth evenly or unevenlyand consider heirs to whom they feel personally obliged. Bequeststherefore reflect the personal circumstances of the testator accurately.The outcome is often an uneven, or asymmetrical distribution of