Husband
الزَّوج
The husband of the deceased woman, married to her at the time of her death. A divorce still within its waiting period (ʿidda) of a revocable divorce keeps him an heir.
Their share
Each row is a family run through the engine in all four schools; the share is the group share of the husband.
| Family | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alone | 1 with return (radd) | needs a scholar's review | needs a scholar's review | needs a scholar's review |
| With Son | 1/4 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| With Father | 1/2 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| With Mother, Father's father, and Full sister | 1/2 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/3 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/3 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/3 fixed share (farḍ) |
| With Daughter × 2 and Father | 3/13 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| With Full sister × 2 | 3/7 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| With Mother and Full sister × 2 | 3/8 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| With Daughter × 2, Mother, Father's father, and Full brother | 1/5 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
- Alone — Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī: needs a scholar's review
Who excludes them
No heir excludes the husband entirely; other heirs can only reduce the share.
Whom they exclude
On their own, the husband excludes no other heir.
Where the schools differ
In these families the four schools give the husband different shares:
- With Mother, Father's father, and Full sister: Ḥanafī 1/2 · Mālikī 1/3 · Shāfiʿī 1/3 · Ḥanbalī 1/3 Read more
The verse
The share of the husband rests on Sūrat an-Nisāʾ, verse 12.
Read 4:12 in the Quran readerWorked examples
| Heir | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2 | 1/3 | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| Mother | 1/3 | 2/9 | 2/9 | 2/9 |
| Father's father | 1/6 | 8/27 | 8/27 | 8/27 |
| Full sister | excluded | 4/27 | 4/27 | 4/27 |
Questions
- How much does the husband inherit?
- It depends on who else inherits. Computed in all four schools: with son: 1/4; with father: 1/2; with mother, father's father, and full sister: differs by school; with daughter × 2 and father: 3/13; with full sister × 2: 3/7.
- Can another heir exclude the husband entirely?
- No. The husband always inherits something; other heirs can only reduce the share.
- Whom does the husband exclude?
- No one: on their own, the husband excludes no other heir.
- Do the four schools agree on the share of the husband?
- Not always. They differ in 1 of the situations computed here — for example, with mother, father's father, and full sister: Ḥanafī 1/2, Mālikī 1/3, Shāfiʿī 1/3, Ḥanbalī 1/3.