Maternal sister
الأخت لأم
The deceased's half-sister through the mother only. She shares the maternal siblings' fixed share equally with any maternal brothers.
Their share
Each row is a family run through the engine in all four schools; the share is the group share of the maternal sister.
| Family | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alone | 1 with return (radd) | |||
| With Wife | 3/4 with return (radd) | |||
| With Son | excluded | |||
| With Mother | 1/3 with return (radd) | |||
| With Full brother | 1/6 fixed share (farḍ) | |||
| Maternal sister × 2 — With Husband, Mother, and Full brother × 2 | 1/3 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/6 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/6 fixed share (farḍ) | 1/3 fixed share (farḍ) |
| With Father's mother | 1/2 with return (radd) | |||
Who excludes them
Present even once, each of these excludes the maternal sister in all four schools:
Whom they exclude
A single maternal sister excludes, in all four schools:
Where the schools differ
In these families the four schools give the maternal sister different shares:
- Maternal sister × 2 — With Husband, Mother, and Full brother × 2: Ḥanafī 1/3 · Mālikī 1/6 · Shāfiʿī 1/6 · Ḥanbalī 1/3 Read more
The verse
The share of the maternal sister rests on Sūrat an-Nisāʾ, verse 12.
Read 4:12 in the Quran readerWorked examples
| Heir | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| Mother | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 |
| Full brother × 2 | excluded | 1/6 | 1/6 | excluded |
| Maternal sister × 2 | 1/3 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/3 |
Questions
- How much does the maternal sister inherit?
- It depends on who else inherits. Computed in all four schools: with son: excluded; with full brother: 1/6; maternal sister × 2 — with husband, mother, and full brother × 2: differs by school; alone: 1; with wife: 3/4.
- Does the maternal sister inherit when there is a son?
- No. In all four schools a son excludes the maternal sister entirely (ḥajb).
- Whom does the maternal sister exclude?
- In all four schools a single maternal sister excludes: daughter's son, daughter's daughter, sister's son, sister's daughter, maternal grandfather, maternal uncle, maternal aunt, and paternal aunt.
- Do the four schools agree on the share of the maternal sister?
- Not always. They differ in 1 of the situations computed here — for example, maternal sister × 2 — with husband, mother, and full brother × 2: Ḥanafī 1/3, Mālikī 1/6, Shāfiʿī 1/6, Ḥanbalī 1/3.