The Holy Qur’an, in its remarkable detail and ethical clarity, specifies certain fixed shares (known in Arabic as fara’id) for designated heirs. These shares are not arbitrary; they reflect both justice and balance within familial obligations. The fixed fractions explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an are 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8. Below is a comprehensive account of who receives these shares, and under what conditions.
Heirs Entitled to 1/2 Share
1- Husband:
He inherits half the estate if the deceased wife has no children or grandchildren through a son.
2- A single daughter:
Receives one-half if she has no brothers or sisters to share with.
3- Son’s daughter (i.e., granddaughter through a son):
Inherits one-half only if there are no sons, brothers, or sisters of the deceased.
4- Full sister (same mother and father):
She receives one-half if the deceased left behind no children, grandchildren through sons, or any brothers or sisters.
5- Half-sister through father:
Inherits half the estate if the deceased has no children or grandchildren through sons, and no full siblings or other half-siblings.
Heirs Entitled to 2/3 Share
1- Two or more daughters:
Together they receive two-thirds when there are no sons.
2- Two or more granddaughters through a son:
They receive two-thirds collectively if there are no sons or brothers.
3- Two or more full sisters:
Entitled to two-thirds when there are no children, grandchildren through sons, or brothers.
4- Two or more half-sisters through the father:
They inherit two-thirds collectively in the absence of children, grandchildren through sons, or full siblings.
Heirs Entitled to 1/3 Share
1- Mother:
She receives one-third if the deceased has no children and no more than one brother or sister.
2- Two or more maternal half-siblings (same mother):
They share one-third equally when there is no father, grandfather, child, or grandchild through a son.
3- Paternal grandfather:
He may receive one-third in cases where no fixed-share heirs are present.
Heirs Entitled to 1/4 Share
1- Husband:
Inherits one-fourth if the deceased wife leaves behind children or grandchildren through sons.
2- Wife:
Receives one-fourth if her deceased husband had no children.
Heirs Entitled to 1/8 Share
1- Wife:
She inherits one-eighth if her husband had children or grandchildren through sons.
Heirs Entitled to 1/6 Share
1- Father:
Receives one-sixth when the deceased has children.
2- Paternal grandfather (father’s father):
Inherits one-sixth if there are children.
3- Mother:
Entitled to one-sixth if the deceased had children or two or more siblings.
4- Grandmother (maternal or paternal):
Receives one-sixth if not blocked by other relatives and if not descended from both male and female (i.e., the maternal and paternal lines must remain distinct).
5- One granddaughter through a son:
Gets one-sixth if there is a daughter or a closer granddaughter through a son, and if there is no son, brother, or grandson through son.
6- One half-sibling through the father (male or female):
Receives one-sixth if there is a full sister but no children, grandchildren through sons, or brothers.
7- One maternal half-sibling (brother or sister):
Entitled to one-sixth in the absence of father, grandfather, child, or grandchild through son.
Heirs Entitled to One-Third of the Residue
In certain unique cases, the Qur’an specifies that an heir may receive one-third of the residue—that is, one-third of what remains after fixed shares are distributed.
1- Mother:
She may receive one-third of what is left if the father and spouse (husband or wife) are present, and there are no other heirs who block her.
2- Paternal grandfather:
Inherits one-third of the residue when there are siblings but no children.
This fixed-share structure underlines Islam’s commitment to divine justice and familial balance. It ensures that inheritance is distributed neither through personal whim nor through cultural preference, but through divinely ordained proportions rooted in both equity and compassion.
