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Islamic inheritance: husband and 1 son

In all four Sunni schools: husband 1/4 (25%) and 1 son 3/4 (75%).

On this page
  1. Shares from an estate of 100,000
  2. Step by step
  3. The verses
  4. Questions
  5. The heirs in this case
  6. Related cases

Shares from an estate of 100,000

These are the only surviving heirs. The amounts assume 100,000 is left after funeral costs, debts and bequests; each is rounded to a whole unit and together they make 100,000.

All four schools

HeirShare%Amount
Husband 1/4 25%25,000
Son 3/4 75%75,000
Total100%100,000

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This is a religious calculation of shares, not legal advice. A court, notary or registry in your country decides what is legally valid.

Step by step

The estate divides over a base (أصل المسألة, aṣl al-masʾala) of 4 shares (sihām):

Husband1/4 1 / 4
Son3/4 3 / 4
Total14 / 4

Step by step

  1. 1.

    Husband 1/4

    Qurʾan 4:12 — the husband takes ¼ when the deceased leaves a child.4:12

  2. 2.

    Son 3/4

    Qurʾan 4:11 — the children take the residue; a son takes the share of two daughters (2:1).4:11

    Learn: ʿAṣaba: the residuary heirs
  3. 3.

    Base (aṣl al-masʾala): 4

    Learn: Aṣl and taṣḥīḥ: the base of a case and its correction

Why these shares (daleel)

  • Husband الزَّوج

    Qurʾan 4:12 — the husband takes ¼ when the deceased leaves a child.4:12

  • Son الابن

    Qurʾan 4:11 — the children take the residue; a son takes the share of two daughters (2:1).4:11

The verses

The fixed shares in this case rest on these verses of Sūrat an-Nisāʾ.

an-Nisāʾ 4:11 — children and parents

Children and parents: a son takes twice a daughter's portion; one daughter alone takes half, and two or more daughters take two-thirds. Each parent takes a sixth when there is a child; with no child the mother takes a third, or a sixth if there are siblings. All of this comes after any bequest and debt.

Read 4:11 in the Quran reader

an-Nisāʾ 4:12 — spouses and maternal siblings

Spouses and maternal siblings: the husband takes half, or a quarter when there is a child; the wife takes a quarter, or an eighth when there is a child. When the deceased leaves neither parent nor child (kalāla), one maternal sibling takes a sixth and two or more share a third.

Read 4:12 in the Quran reader

Questions

How is an estate divided between husband and 1 son?
In all four Sunni schools: husband 1/4 (25%) and 1 son 3/4 (75%).
How much does each heir get from an estate of 100,000?
husband 25,000 and 1 son 75,000. Amounts are rounded to whole units and add up to 100,000.
Do the four Sunni schools agree on this case?
Yes. The Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools give each heir the same share.

The heirs in this case

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