Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al-Mizan An Exegesis of the Qur'an, vol 2 Suratul Baqarah: Verses 180 − 182 (١٨٠) كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمۡ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلمَوۡتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيرًا ٱلوَصِيَّةُ لِلوَٲلِدَينِ وَٱلأَقرَبِينَ بِٱلمَعرُوفِۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلمُتَّقِينَ (١٨١) فَمَنۢ بَدَّلَهُ ۥ بَعدَمَا سَمِعَهُ ۥ فَإِنَّمَآ إِثمُهُ ۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (١٨٢) فَمَنۡ خَافَ مِن مُّوصٍ۬ جَنَفًا أَوۡ إِثمًا فَأَصلَحَ بَينَُهمۡ فَلَآ إِثمَ عَلَيهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ Bequest is prescribed for you when death approaches one of you, if he leaves behind wealth, for parents and near relatives, according to usage, a duty (incumbent) upon those who guard (against evil) (180).
Whoever then alters it after he has heard it, the sin of it then is only upon those who alter it; surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing (181). But he who fears an inclination (to a wrong course) or an act of disobedience on the part of the testator, and effects an agreement between the parties, there is no blame on him. Surely Allah is Forgiving,. Merciful (182).
Commentary Qur’an: Bequest is prescribed for you when death approaches one of you, if he leaves behind wealth: The language is that of an obligatory rule, because al-kitabah اَلكِتـاَبَة ُ ) = to write; translated here as “prescribed”) is used in the Qur'an always for definitely obligatory laws. It is further strengthened by the word “a duty” coming at the end of the verse, because duty too is used, like writing and prescription, for compulsory orders.
But the word ”a duty” is qualified by ”upon those who guard (against evil)”; this somewhat weakens the sense of obligatoriness; it would have been more appropriate, in case of obligatoriness, to say, 'a duty upon the believers'. In any case, it is said that the verse was later abrogated by the verse of inheritance. If so, then it would only be its “obligatoriness” which was abrogated, not its being liked, recommended. Perhaps, the phrase qualifying “a duty” was used for this very purpose.
al-Khayr ( الخَيْرُ ) is wealth; it probably denotes considerable wealth, not an insignificant amount. al-Ma'ruf المَعْرُوُف ُُ ) = known; common usage of good deed and favour).