Inheritance Calculator
Distribution of an estate among the most common heirs, following the fixed shares of Surah An-Nisa with 'awl and radd adjustments. Everything is computed locally.
Spouse
Descendants
Ascendants
Full siblings
Select the surviving heirs to see the distribution.
This covers the common heirs and standard Sunni rules ('awl, radd, hijb). Rarer cases — paternal/maternal half-siblings, grandchildren of a deceased son, multiple grandmothers — need a qualified scholar. Always verify before dividing an actual estate.
How Islamic inheritance (Fara'id) works
Fara'id is one of the most precise systems in Islamic law: the Quran itself fixes who inherits and how much. This guide explains the order of distribution, the fixed shares, and the adjustments this calculator applies.
What is Fara'id?
Fara'id is the Islamic law of inheritance, detailed largely in the Quran (Surah An-Nisa 4:11–12 and 4:176). It assigns fixed shares of the estate to specific relatives.
Unlike a free-will system, most of the estate is distributed according to shares that Allah has ordained, leaving only a limited portion to personal choice.
What is settled before distribution
Four things are taken from the estate before the heirs receive anything, in this order:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Outstanding debts owed by the deceased
- A valid bequest (wasiyyah) of up to one third, given to non-heirs
- The remainder is then divided among the legal heirs
The fixed-share heirs (Ashab al-Furud)
Certain heirs receive a fraction named in the Quran — 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 2/3, 1/3 or 1/6 — depending on who else survives. A husband, for example, takes 1/2 when there are no children and 1/4 when there are; a wife takes 1/4 or 1/8 in the same cases.
The residuaries ('Asabah)
Once the fixed shares are paid, whatever remains passes to the residuary heirs — usually sons, the father, or brothers — in a strict order of priority. When sons and daughters inherit together, a son receives twice the share of a daughter.
Blocking (Hijb)
Some heirs exclude others. A son blocks the deceased's brothers and sisters; a father blocks the grandfather. Because these rules interact in complex ways, a precise tool — or a scholar — is used rather than guesswork.
'Awl and Radd
Sometimes the fixed shares add up to more than the whole estate, so every share is scaled down proportionally ('awl). Other times they add up to less with no residuary heir, so the surplus is returned to the fixed-share heirs in proportion (radd). This calculator applies both automatically.
Why some shares differ
Where a male heir receives double a female in the same class, it mirrors his greater financial duties: a man must pay the dowry and fully maintain his wife and family, while a woman keeps her wealth entirely for herself. The system balances rights with responsibilities.
Common Fara'id questions
In the same class of heirs, yes — but it is tied to responsibility: the man must pay the dowry and financially maintain the family, while the woman keeps her share entirely for herself.
You may bequeath up to one third of your estate to people who are not already fixed heirs. The remaining two thirds must follow the Quranic shares, and a will cannot deny a rightful heir.
Yes. A single daughter takes 1/2 and two or more share 2/3, alongside other eligible heirs such as the parents and spouse.
If they exceed the estate, all shares are reduced proportionally ('awl). If they fall short with no residuary heir, the surplus is returned to the sharers (radd). Both are handled here automatically.
No. It covers the common cases accurately, but real estates can involve rarer heirs and disputes. Always confirm with a qualified scholar or Islamic court before dividing an actual estate.