Islamic inheritance FAQ
Answers to common questions about Faraid shares, schools of law, wills, and this calculator.
Each ruling below links to the Quran, a Hadith, or IslamQA. Links open on those sites.
Is this calculator a fatwa or a court ruling?
No. The tool is for education. The Quran treats these shares as set limits. Ask a qualified scholar or lawyer for a binding result.Sources:Quran 4:13 (These are the limits set by Allah; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 10447 (How to write a will in Islam; opens in a new tab)
Which school of thought does it follow?
You choose Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, or Hanbali first. IslamQA notes that scholars differ on a small set of issues, such as leftover estate after fixed shares.Sources:IslamQA 140167 (Order of the estate, heirs, and blocking; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 160948 (Radd versus the public treasury by school; opens in a new tab)
Do I need to enter money amounts?
No. Leave money blank to see fractions and percentages only. Enter amounts if you also want a currency split. The Quran names shares as fractions, not as a currency amount.Sources:Quran 4:11 (Shares of children and parents, after debts and bequests; opens in a new tab)Quran 4:12 (Shares of spouses and maternal siblings, after debts and bequests; opens in a new tab)
What is Faraid?
Faraid is Islamic inheritance law. Close relatives take Quranic shares. Residue goes to agnates. Closer heirs can block farther heirs.Sources:Quran 4:11 (Shares of children and parents, after debts and bequests; opens in a new tab)Sahih al-Bukhari 6732 (Give the fixed shares; the remainder goes to the closest male relative; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 225165 (Rules of inheritance: fixed shares, residue, and impediments; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 140167 (Order of the estate, heirs, and blocking; opens in a new tab)
Can a will give away the whole estate?
Not in Faraid. A wasiyyah is capped at one-third of the net estate after debts and funeral costs. Heirs take the rest. There is no bequest for an heir unless the other heirs agree.Sources:Sahih al-Bukhari 2742 (A will may not exceed one-third of the estate; opens in a new tab)Sunan Abi Dawud 2870 (There is no bequest for an heir; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 174421 (A bequest is capped at one-third and is not for an heir; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 200127 (Pay funeral costs, then debts, then the will, then heirs; opens in a new tab)
Why does a son take more than a daughter?
When sons and daughters inherit together as residuaries, the Quran gives a son twice a daughter's share. Daughters also take fixed Quranic shares when no son survives.Sources:Quran 4:11 (Shares of children and parents, after debts and bequests; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 12911 (A daughter's share: one-half, two-thirds, or residue with a son; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 76418 (Sons and daughters share residue with the male taking twice the female; opens in a new tab)
What does the results page mean by 'awl or radd?
'Awl reduces every Quranic share when the fractions add up to more than the estate. Radd returns leftover estate to blood relatives who already took a fixed share.Sources:IslamQA 131556 (Awl reduces every Quranic share in proportion; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 126233 (Awl example: husband, daughters, and grandmother; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 160948 (Radd versus the public treasury by school; opens in a new tab)
Which relatives are missing?
This version does not cover every distant kindred class, unborn children, missing persons, a killer, or a difference of religion. The Sunnah blocks a killer, and it blocks inheritance between a Muslim and a disbeliever.Sources:IslamQA 13772 (A killer, or a difference of religion, blocks inheritance; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 428 (A Muslim does not inherit from a non-Muslim; opens in a new tab)Sahih al-Bukhari 6764 (A Muslim and a disbeliever do not inherit from one another; opens in a new tab)Jami at-Tirmidhi 2109 (The killer does not inherit; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 135906 (Paternal uncles, blocking, and distant kindred; opens in a new tab)
For the full list of heirs and gaps, read the scope page. For the order of distribution, read how Islamic inheritance works.
Sources:Quran 4:7 (Men and women have a share of what parents and close relatives leave; opens in a new tab)IslamQA 225165 (Rules of inheritance: fixed shares, residue, and impediments; opens in a new tab)Use the free calculator to work out each heir's fraction, percentage, and amount. Open the calculator