Guide · fara'id
Inheritance shares in Islam, heir by heir
Who inherits what, when the share changes, and who blocks whom. Each share with the verse of Surah an-Nisa it comes from. To work out a real case, use the inheritance calculator.
Educational estimate, not a fatwa or legal advice. Inheritance depends on facts this tool cannot check, and the law where the deceased lived or owned property may differ from Islamic rules. Before dividing an estate, have the result checked by a qualified scholar of inheritance and a local lawyer.
Three verses of Surah an-Nisa set the shares: 4:11 (children and parents), 4:12 (spouses and maternal siblings) and 4:176 (full and paternal sisters and brothers). The shares are 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 2/3, 1/3 and 1/6. What is left goes to the nearest male relative (Sahih al-Bukhari 6732). The four Sunni schools agree on these shares.
All the shares at a glance
| Heir | Share | Changes to | Blocked by | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2 | 1/4 | No one | Try it |
| Wife (or wives, shared) | 1/4 | 1/8 | No one | Try it |
| Daughter | 1/2 alone, 2/3 for two or more | with a son: residue, 2:1 | No one | Try it |
| Son | residue | with daughters: 2:1 | No one | Try it |
| Son's daughter | 1/2, 2/3, or 1/6 with one daughter | with a son's son: residue, 2:1 | A son; two daughters (unless a son's son is present) | Try it |
| Father | 1/6 with a son; 1/6 + residue with daughters | residue with no children | No one | Try it |
| Mother | 1/3 | 1/6 with children or two or more siblings | No one | Try it |
| Paternal grandfather | like the father | shares with siblings (Zayd) or blocks them (Abu Hanifa) | The father | Try it |
| Grandmother(s) | 1/6, shared | — | The mother; the father blocks his own mother (majority) | Try it |
| Full sister | 1/2 alone, 2/3 for two or more | with daughters or a brother: residue | Son, son's son, father | Try it |
| Paternal half-sister | 1/2, 2/3, or 1/6 with one full sister | with daughters or a half-brother: residue | As full sister, plus a full brother or two full sisters | Try it |
| Maternal half-siblings | 1/6 alone, 1/3 for two or more, equal shares | — | Any child or son's child, father, grandfather | Try it |
“Changes to” for the husband, wife and mother applies when the deceased left a child or a son's child. A son's son takes a son's place when there is no son.
Children and parents: 4:11
يُوصِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَوْلَٰدِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۚ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَآءًۭ فَوْقَ ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ ۖ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَلَهَا ٱلنِّصْفُ ۚ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ وَوَرِثَهُۥٓ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلثُّلُثُ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُۥٓ إِخْوَةٌۭ فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصِى بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۗ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًۭا ۚ فَرِيضَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. And if there is only one, for her is half. And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children. But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [or sisters], for his mother is a sixth, after any bequest he [may have] made or debt. Your parents or your children - you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit. [These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
Qur'an 4:11 · read in context · translation: Sahih International
Sons and daughters
A son never has a fixed share: he takes what is left, and if there are daughters too, each son takes twice a daughter's share. With no son, one daughter takes 1/2 and two or more share 2/3. The verse says “more than two”; the Prophet ﷺ gave two daughters of Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' two-thirds (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2092, Sunan Abi Dawud 2891), and all four schools give two daughters 2/3.
Son's children
With no son, a son's son takes a son's place and a son's daughter a daughter's place. With one daughter, son's daughters take 1/6 to complete two-thirds (Ibn Mas'ud, Sahih al-Bukhari 6736). Two daughters take the full 2/3 and leave nothing for son's daughters, unless a son's son makes them residuaries with him.
Father
1/6 when there is a son or son's son. With only daughters, 1/6 plus what is left. With no children, he takes what is left after the other shares.
Mother
1/3, or 1/6 when the deceased left a child or two or more brothers or sisters (even when the father blocks those siblings). In the two 'Umariyyatan — a spouse, the mother and the father, with no children — the mother takes 1/3 of what is left after the spouse, so the father still gets twice her share: 1/6 with a husband, 1/4 with a wife. 'Umar ruled this and the four schools follow it.
Spouses and maternal siblings: 4:12
۞ وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَٰجُكُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌۭ فَلَكُمُ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصِينَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍۢ ۚ وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُم ۚ مِّنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ تُوصُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍۢ ۗ وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌۭ يُورَثُ كَلَٰلَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌۭ وَلَهُۥٓ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌۭ فَلِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚ فَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَكْثَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فِى ٱلثُّلُثِ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصَىٰ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَآرٍّۢ ۚ وَصِيَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌۭ
And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you [may have] made or debt. And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth. But if they are more than two, they share a third, after any bequest which was made or debt, as long as there is no detriment [caused]. [This is] an ordinance from Allah, and Allah is Knowing and Forbearing.
Qur'an 4:12 · read in context · translation: Sahih International
Husband and wife
A husband takes 1/2, or 1/4 if his wife left a child or son's child. A wife takes 1/4, or 1/8 if her husband left a child or son's child. Two, three or four wives share that one portion equally. Spouses are never blocked, and in the majority view they do not take part in radd.
Maternal half-siblings
The siblings in this verse are those through the mother only, as Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas read it and all schools agree. One takes 1/6; two or more share 1/3 equally, brothers and sisters alike. Any child or son's child, the father or the grandfather blocks them.
Full and paternal siblings: 4:176
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى ٱلْكَلَٰلَةِ ۚ إِنِ ٱمْرُؤٌا۟ هَلَكَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ وَلَهُۥٓ أُخْتٌۭ فَلَهَا نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ ۚ وَهُوَ يَرِثُهَآ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهَا وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَتَا ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُمَا ٱلثُّلُثَانِ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ۚ وَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَةًۭ رِّجَالًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ فَلِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۗ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۢ
They request from you a [legal] ruling. Say, "Allah gives you a ruling concerning one having neither descendants nor ascendants [as heirs]." If a man dies, leaving no child but [only] a sister, she will have half of what he left. And he inherits from her if she [dies and] has no child. But if there are two sisters [or more], they will have two-thirds of what he left. If there are both brothers and sisters, the male will have the share of two females. Allah makes clear to you [His law], lest you go astray. And Allah is Knowing of all things.
Qur'an 4:176 · read in context · translation: Sahih International
Brothers and sisters inherit only when there is no son, son's son or father. One full sister takes 1/2, two or more share 2/3; with a full brother they share what is left at 2:1. With daughters, full sisters take what is left (Sahih al-Bukhari 6736).
Paternal half-siblings take the full siblings' place when there are none. With one full sister, paternal half-sisters take 1/6 to complete two-thirds. A full brother blocks them, and so does a full sister who is taking the residue with daughters.
The residue, blocking and special cases
Order of residuaries: sons, then son's sons, then the father, the grandfather, full brothers, paternal half-brothers, full brother's sons, paternal half-brother's sons, full paternal uncles, paternal half-uncles, and their sons. The nearest takes it all and blocks the rest.
Grandfather with siblings: under Zayd ibn Thabit's method he takes the best of sharing as a brother, 1/3 of the estate, or (with fixed-share heirs) 1/6 of the estate or 1/3 of the remainder. In al-Akdariyya (husband, mother, grandfather, one sister) the sister is given 1/2, the base is raised to 9, and grandfather and sister pool and split their parts 2:1. Abu Hanifa held that the grandfather blocks the siblings.
'Awl: when the fixed shares exceed the whole, each is reduced in proportion. In al-Minbariyya (wife, two daughters, father, mother) the base 24 rises to 27, so the wife's 1/8 becomes 1/9.
Radd: when something is left and no residuary exists, it returns to the fixed-share heirs in proportion to their shares, except the spouse. Mother and two daughters: 1/6 and 2/3 become 1/5 and 4/5.
Al-Mushtaraka: husband 1/2, mother 1/6, two maternal half-siblings 1/3, and full brothers. Hanafis and Hanbalis give the full brothers nothing; Malikis and Shafi'is let them share the 1/3 with the maternal siblings.
Frequently asked questions
Which verses of the Qur'an set the inheritance shares?
Surah an-Nisa 4:11 (children and parents), 4:12 (husband, wife and maternal siblings) and 4:176 (full and paternal sisters and brothers). Verse 4:7 states the principle that men and women both have a share.
What are the six fixed shares?
One half, one quarter, one eighth, two thirds, one third and one sixth. One third of the remainder appears in the two 'Umariyyatan, and the grandfather may take a third of the remainder when he is with brothers and sisters.
Who can never be blocked from inheriting?
Six heirs are never fully excluded: the husband, the wife, the son, the daughter, the father and the mother. Their share can become smaller, but they always inherit if they are alive and eligible.
Does a daughter's child inherit?
Not as a fixed-share heir or residuary. A daughter's children are distant kindred (dhawu al-arham), who inherit only when there are no fixed-share heirs other than a spouse and no residuary, in the Hanafi and Hanbali view. A bequest of up to a third can include them.
Do the four Sunni schools agree on these shares?
Yes, on the fixed shares and the main rules of blocking. They differ on a few cases: the grandfather with siblings, radd and distant kindred, al-Mushtaraka, and whether the father blocks his own mother.
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Download Niyat for iPhone Get it on Google PlayEducational estimate, not a fatwa or legal advice. Inheritance depends on facts this tool cannot check, and the law where the deceased lived or owned property may differ from Islamic rules. Before dividing an estate, have the result checked by a qualified scholar of inheritance and a local lawyer.