Islamic Inheritance Calculator (Faraid)

Faraid is the Islamic system of inheritance distribution prescribed in the Quran (Surah An-Nisa 4:11-12, 4:176). It specifies exact shares for each heir - spouse, children, parents, siblings, and other relatives - ensuring a fair and predetermined distribution of wealth.

Property in Islam is divided according to the fixed shares in the Quran (4:11-12, 4:176). After debts and up to one-third in bequests are settled, each heir receives a prescribed share of all property - real estate, cash, gold, investments, and business assets alike. For example, a wife receives 1/8 if there are children, a husband 1/4, and a son receives twice the share of a daughter. This calculator computes each heir's exact property share for any combination of surviving relatives.

If the daughter has brothers, she receives half of what each brother receives (Quran 4:11) - the children together take the estate remaining after fixed shares. If there are no sons, a single daughter receives 1/2 of the estate and two or more daughters share 2/3 between them, with the remainder going to other heirs such as the parents. Use the calculator above to compute the exact fraction and dollar amount for your family's situation.

Six heirs can never be blocked from inheritance: the husband, wife, father, mother, son, and daughter. Other heirs may be blocked depending on which closer relatives are present.

'Awl is the proportional reduction of shares when the total prescribed shares exceed 100% of the estate. This established ruling ensures all heirs receive a proportionally fair share even when the Quran-specified fractions sum to more than the whole.

Radd is the redistribution of surplus estate when the total prescribed shares are less than 100%. The surplus is distributed proportionally to non-spouse heirs. Spouse shares remain fixed and are not increased through Radd.

A Wassiyah is a bequest (will) that allows a person to direct up to one-third of their estate to charitable causes or non-inheriting individuals. The remaining two-thirds (or more) must be distributed according to Faraid. Bequests to Quranic heirs are generally not permitted, as their shares are already fixed.

In Islamic law, the male-to-female 2:1 ratio in residuary inheritance reflects the greater financial obligations placed on men - including the obligation to provide for the family (nafaqah), pay mahr (dowry), and bear financial responsibility for dependents. A daughter's inheritance is entirely her own with no such obligations.

When a father dies, his property is divided in a fixed order. First, funeral costs and debts (including any unpaid mahr) are paid, then any bequest of up to one-third. The remaining estate goes to the heirs: his wife takes 1/8 (1/4 if he left no children), each surviving parent takes 1/6 when there are children, and the children take everything that remains with each son receiving twice the share of each daughter. If he left only daughters, one daughter receives 1/2 and two or more share 2/3, with the remainder passing to his parents or, failing them, his siblings. Enter the surviving relatives in the calculator above to see the exact fraction for each heir.

A sister inherits only when the deceased leaves no son (and, in most schools, no father). A full sister then takes 1/2 of the estate if she is alone, or 2/3 shared equally with other full sisters; if a full brother survives alongside her, the siblings take the residue together at a 2:1 male-to-female ratio. A sister on the father's side (consanguine) takes the same fractions only when there is no full sibling; a sister on the mother's side (uterine) takes 1/6 alone or shares 1/3 equally with other uterine siblings regardless of gender. When the deceased leaves daughters but no son, a full sister takes the residue after the daughters' fixed shares. The calculator applies these blocking rules automatically.

Three verses set the fixed shares: Surah An-Nisa 4:11 (children and parents), 4:12 (spouses and uterine siblings), and 4:176 (full and paternal siblings when there are no children). Verse 4:11 opens with the son-to-daughter 2:1 rule and the parents' 1/6 shares; 4:12 gives the husband 1/2 or 1/4 and the wife 1/4 or 1/8 depending on whether there are children. Each of these verses conditions the shares on debts and bequests being settled first ("after any bequest he may have made or debt"). Verse 4:13-14 then describes these shares as the limits set by Allah, which is why scholars treat Faraid as mandatory rather than advisory and limit voluntary bequests to one-third.

This calculator implements standard Sunni Faraid rules based on the majority scholarly consensus. There may be differences of opinion in specific edge cases (e.g., grandfather with siblings) across the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools. Always consult a qualified scholar for complex situations.

No. This calculator shows how your estate should be divided under Faraid, but U.S. courts apply state intestacy law, which ignores Islamic inheritance entirely. To make this distribution legally enforceable you need a state-valid Islamic will (wasiyyah). Online platforms such as ShariaWiz draft a scholar-approved, state-specific Islamic will in all 50 states; for couples, an Islamic living trust can also avoid probate.