How much does the wife inherit?

It depends on who else inherits. Computed in all four schools: with son: 1/8; with father: 1/4; with mother, full sister × 2, and maternal brother × 2: 3/17; with daughter × 2, father, and mother: 1/9; with daughter's daughter: 1/4 (Mālikī: needs a scholar's review).

Can another heir exclude the wife entirely?

No. The wife always inherits something; other heirs can only reduce the share.

Whom does the wife exclude?

No one: on their own, the wife excludes no other heir.

Do the four schools agree on the share of the wife?

Yes. In every situation computed here the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools give the same share.

Wife

الزَّوجة

The wife of the deceased man, married to him at the time of his death. Up to four wives share one wife's portion between them.

Their share

Each row is a family run through the engine in all four schools; the share is the group share of the wife.

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	1/8 fixed share (farḍ)
With Father	1/4 fixed share (farḍ)
With Mother, Full sister × 2, and Maternal brother × 2	3/17 fixed share (farḍ)
With Daughter × 2, Father, and Mother	1/9 fixed share (farḍ)
With Daughter's daughter	1/4 fixed share (farḍ)	needs a scholar's review	1/4 fixed share (farḍ)	1/4 fixed share (farḍ)
With Husband	needs a scholar's review	needs a scholar's review	needs a scholar's review	needs a scholar's review

Alone — Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī: needs a scholar's review
With Daughter's daughter — Mālikī: needs a scholar's review
With Husband — Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī: needs a scholar's review

Who excludes them

No heir excludes the wife entirely; other heirs can only reduce the share.

How exclusion (ḥajb) works

Whom they exclude

On their own, the wife excludes no other heir.

Where the schools differ

In every situation above, the four schools give the wife the same share.

The verse

The share of the wife rests on Sūrat an-Nisāʾ, verse 12.

Read 4:12 in the Quran reader

Worked examples

With Son

Heir	Ḥanafī
Wife	1/8
Son	7/8

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With Father

Heir	Ḥanafī
Wife	1/4
Father	3/4

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With Mother, Full sister × 2, and Maternal brother × 2

Heir	Ḥanafī
Wife	3/17
Mother	2/17
Full sister × 2	8/17
Maternal brother × 2	4/17

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Questions

How much does the wife inherit?: It depends on who else inherits. Computed in all four schools: with son: 1/8; with father: 1/4; with mother, full sister × 2, and maternal brother × 2: 3/17; with daughter × 2, father, and mother: 1/9; with daughter's daughter: 1/4 (Mālikī: needs a scholar's review).
Can another heir exclude the wife entirely?: No. The wife always inherits something; other heirs can only reduce the share.
Whom does the wife exclude?: No one: on their own, the wife excludes no other heir.
Do the four schools agree on the share of the wife?: Yes. In every situation computed here the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools give the same share.

Calculate your own case Methodology Sources The verses