Islamic inheritance: common questions

First, reasonable funeral costs are paid, then all debts (including any unpaid mahr). Next, valid bequests (wasiyyah) are paid, up to one third of what remains. The balance is divided among the heirs by the fixed shares in the Quran (4:11, 4:12, 4:176), with any remainder going to residuary heirs ('asabah).

Sources: The order of payment comes from the Quran itself: the share verses in Surah an-Nisa (4:11, 4:12) attach the words “after the fulfilment of bequests and debts” - Qur'an 4:11, The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), as on quran.com, and jurists place funeral costs before debts by consensus (Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni). The residuary rule rests on the hadith “Give the Fara'id (the shares of the inheritance that are prescribed in the Qur'an) to those who are entitled to receive it. Then whatever remains, should be given to the closest male relative of the deceased .” - Sahih al-Bukhari 6732 (wording quoted); Sahih Muslim 1615, sunnah.com English translation.

A wife receives one quarter (1/4) if her husband left no children or son's children, and one eighth (1/8) if he did. Where there are several wives, they share that 1/4 or 1/8 equally.

Sources: Quran 4:12: “You will inherit half of what your wives leave if they are childless. But if they have children, then ˹your share is˺ one-fourth of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And your wives will inherit one-fourth of what you leave if you are childless. But if you have children, then your wives will receive one-eighth of your estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And if a man or a woman leaves neither parents nor children but only a brother or a sister ˹from their mother’s side˺, they will each inherit one-sixth, but if they are more than one, they ˹all˺ will share one-third of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts without harm ˹to the heirs˺. ˹This is˺ a commandment from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.” - Qur'an 4:12, The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), as on quran.com. Jurists read “child” (walad) in this verse to include a son's child of any degree, so a grandson also reduces the wife to one eighth.

A husband receives one half (1/2) if his wife left no children or son's children, and one quarter (1/4) if she did.

Sources: Quran 4:12: “You will inherit half of what your wives leave if they are childless. But if they have children, then ˹your share is˺ one-fourth of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And your wives will inherit one-fourth of what you leave if you are childless. But if you have children, then your wives will receive one-eighth of your estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And if a man or a woman leaves neither parents nor children but only a brother or a sister ˹from their mother’s side˺, they will each inherit one-sixth, but if they are more than one, they ˹all˺ will share one-third of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts without harm ˹to the heirs˺. ˹This is˺ a commandment from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.” - Qur'an 4:12, The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), as on quran.com. The husband's share is exactly double the wife's in the equivalent situation.

The Quran (4:11) sets a son's share at twice a daughter's when they inherit together. Classical scholars link this to the man's legal duty to provide mahr and financially support his wife, children and dependants, while a woman's inheritance remains entirely her own.

Sources: Quran 4:11: “Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. If you leave only two ˹or more˺ females, their share is two-thirds of the estate. But if there is only one female, her share will be one-half. Each parent is entitled to one-sixth if you leave offspring. But if you are childless and your parents are the only heirs, then your mother will receive one-third. But if you leave siblings, then your mother will receive one-sixth—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. ˹Be fair to˺ your parents and children, as you do not ˹fully˺ know who is more beneficial to you. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” - Qur'an 4:11, The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), as on quran.com. Classical commentators such as al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir connect this to Quran 4:34, which makes men responsible for maintaining women from their wealth: a son must pay a dower and support a household from his share, while a daughter's share is hers alone with no maintenance duty attached.

A mother receives one sixth (1/6) if the deceased left children or two or more siblings, and one third (1/3) otherwise. In the two 'Umariyyatan cases (a spouse and both parents), she takes one third of what remains after the spouse's share.

Sources: Quran 4:11: “Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. If you leave only two ˹or more˺ females, their share is two-thirds of the estate. But if there is only one female, her share will be one-half. Each parent is entitled to one-sixth if you leave offspring. But if you are childless and your parents are the only heirs, then your mother will receive one-third. But if you leave siblings, then your mother will receive one-sixth—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. ˹Be fair to˺ your parents and children, as you do not ˹fully˺ know who is more beneficial to you. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” - Qur'an 4:11, The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), as on quran.com. The 'Umariyyatan refinement — one third of the remainder, not of the whole — was ruled by the caliph 'Umar and is reported in Malik's Muwatta.

Yes. A living mother blocks all grandmothers. If the mother has died, the maternal grandmother can inherit, and the paternal grandmother can too unless the father is alive (the Hanbali school differs here). One grandmother takes 1/6; two eligible grandmothers share that 1/6 equally.

Sources: The grandmother's sixth was established when a grandmother came to Abu Bakr, and al-Mughira testified: “I had been present with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he gave grandmother a sixth.” - Sunan Abi Dawud 2894 (wording quoted); Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2100, sunnah.com English translation. Grade: Da'if (Al-Albani). The mother blocks grandmothers because she is nearer in the same line. The majority block the paternal grandmother when the father is alive, since she would inherit through him; Hanbalis let her inherit regardless, treating her as a mother of a parent.

Yes, through a wasiyyah (bequest) of up to one third of the estate after debts. The majority view is that a bequest to someone who is already an heir needs the other heirs' consent.

Sources: The one-third limit comes from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas: he asked the Prophet ﷺ about bequeathing two thirds, then half, and was told “Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much.” - Sahih al-Bukhari 2742 (wording quoted); Sahih Muslim 1628, sunnah.com English translation. The Prophet ﷺ also said “Allah has appointed for everyone who has a right what is due to him, and no bequest must be made to an heir.” - Sunan Abi Dawud 2870 (wording quoted); Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2120, sunnah.com English translation, which the majority enforce unless the other heirs agree after death.

In the majority view, difference of religion prevents inheritance by fixed share. However, a Muslim may leave a non-Muslim relative a bequest within the one-third limit, which Raashid lets you plan and check.

Sources: The Prophet ﷺ said “A Muslim cannot be the heir of a disbeliever, nor can a disbeliever be the heir of a Muslim.” - Sahih al-Bukhari 6764 (wording quoted); Sahih Muslim 1614, sunnah.com English translation. The bar applies to inheritance by fixed share only: because a wasiyyah is a gift rather than an inheritance right, the majority permit leaving a non-Muslim relative up to one third of the estate under the Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari 2742).

This is called 'awl. Every share is scaled down in proportion so the total equals the whole estate. If shares instead leave a surplus and no residuary exists, Hanafi and Hanbali rulings return it to eligible non-spouse fixed-share heirs (radd); classical Maliki and Shafi'i rulings direct it to the public treasury.

Sources: 'Awl was first applied by the caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab in the case of a husband and two full sisters, whose shares exceeded the estate; on al-'Abbas's advice he reduced each share proportionally, and the companions accepted it (recorded in Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni). Under the classical Maliki and Shafi'i view, surplus without a residuary passes to the public treasury (bayt al-mal); many later scholars in both schools allow radd where no functioning treasury exists. Hanafis and Hanbalis return surplus proportionally to non-spouse fixed-share heirs first; in the Hanafi order, distant kindred are considered only if there is no non-spouse fixed-share heir.

On most cases, yes. Differences include the grandfather with full or paternal siblings, the mushtaraka case involving full and maternal siblings, radd versus the public treasury, distant kindred, and the Hanbali position on a paternal grandmother with a living father. Full and paternal sisters can inherit as residuaries alongside daughters; sibling entitlements depend on their relationship and the nearer heirs present. Raashid lets you choose Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i or Hanbali; some exceptional positions are flagged for scholarly review rather than calculated.

Sources: All four schools build on the same texts — Quran 4:11–12 and 4:176 and the hadith of the closest male relative (Sahih al-Bukhari 6732) — so the core shares are identical. Their differences are recorded in each school's manuals: al-Hidayah (Hanafi), the Mudawwanah and Mukhtasar of Khalil (Maliki), Minhaj al-Talibin (Shafi'i) and al-Mughni (Hanbali), and compared in works like Ibn Rushd's Bidayat al-Mujtahid.

It depends on your country. In many Western countries, an Islamic distribution must be written into a properly signed will or trust to take effect. Raashid gives informational notes for 45 countries, but you should have a qualified local attorney draft the documents.

Sources: This is a question of local civil law, not Islamic law: every country sets its own formalities for wills — witnesses, notarisation, trusts and forced-heirship rules all differ. Religious freedom to make a wasiyyah is grounded in the Quran and Sunnah, but enforcing it requires documents that satisfy your local courts, which is why a local attorney's drafting is essential.

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