The deceased gave verbal instructions about his property before he died. Are those instructions binding?

A verbal will can be valid in Islamic law, but it is subject to the same conditions and is hard to prove. Like a written will, it cannot exceed one third of the estate and does not take effect for an heir without the other heirs' consent. The problem is that verbal instructions are easily understood differently by those who heard them. Promptly write down what was heard by just, disinterested witnesses, complete with the date and place. If the instruction was only a hope, for example ‘take good care of your mother’, it is a moral trust, not a division of property. For disputed instructions, leave it to the Syariah Court to assess. See faraid basics.