The remaining amount of Mahr with the husband as a part of the wife's inheritance

Q: Kindly be informed that I agreed to pay sixty thousand Riyals (60,000) as Mahr (mandatory gift to a bride from her groom), of which I presented eighteen thousand riyals upon contracting the marriage. My wife died leaving a daughter, and now her father demands that I pay the rest of Mahr. Please give your Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) regarding my father-in-law's demand, bearing in mind that he received the remaining amount of Mahr. May Allah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter!

A: You are obliged to pay the deferred amount of the Mahr of your late wife. It is considered as her property which is to be transferred to her heirs. You are entitled to receive your share of that amount as your inheritance. It should be mentioned that repaying your wife's debts and executing her (Part No. 16; Page No. 432) legal will, if any, takes precedence over giving the heirs their shares of the inheritance. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!