Islamic inheritance shares, Sunni and Shia — explained with an example
The Qur'an names the shares of the closest heirs. Here is who inherits what, where Sunni and Shia rules part ways, and a worked example you can check with our calculator.
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The order: funeral, debts, bequest, then heirs
Before anyone inherits, the estate pays for a modest funeral, then all debts (to people, and in most schools debts owed to Allah), then any bequest up to one-third. What remains is shared among the heirs. The shares come from Surat al-Nisa (4:11, 4:12 and 4:176).
Shares fixed by the Qur'an
| Heir | Share |
|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2 if his wife left no children; 1/4 if she did |
| Wife (or wives, shared) | 1/4 if her husband left no children; 1/8 if he did |
| One daughter, with no son | 1/2 |
| Two or more daughters, with no son | 2/3, shared equally |
| Sons and daughters together | The remainder, a son taking twice a daughter's share |
| Father | 1/6 if there are children (and in Sunni law the remainder too when there are only daughters) |
| Mother | 1/6 if there are children or two or more siblings (conditions differ by school); otherwise 1/3 |
Siblings, grandparents and other relatives inherit only in certain cases, and this is where the schools differ most.
Sunni inheritance: shares, then the nearest male relatives
In the four Sunni schools, after the fixed shares are paid, whatever is left goes to the nearest male relatives through the father (the ʿasaba) — for example a son, then a father, then a brother. So when a man leaves only daughters, his brother may receive the rest. A bequest to an heir is not valid unless the other heirs agree, following the hadith “There is no bequest for an heir” (Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi).
Shia (Jaʿfari) inheritance: three classes
In Shia law heirs fall into three classes, and any heir in a nearer class excludes every heir in a farther one:
- Parents, and children and their descendants
- Grandparents, and brothers and sisters and their children
- Uncles and aunts and their children
A husband or wife inherits alongside every class. Daughters are not pushed aside by uncles or brothers: what is left over after the shares returns (radd) to the closest heirs. According to most maraji, a wife's share comes from movable property and the value of buildings and trees, not from the land itself — follow your own marjaʿ's rulings. A bequest to an heir is allowed within the one-third.
Worked example
A man leaves $300,000 after debts. His heirs are his wife, one daughter, his mother and one full brother.
| Heir | Sunni | Shia (Jaʿfari) |
|---|---|---|
| Wife | 1/8 = $37,500 | 1/8 = $37,500 |
| Daughter | 1/2 = $150,000 | 1/2 + share of the rest = $196,875 |
| Mother | 1/6 = $50,000 | 1/6 + share of the rest = $65,625 |
| Brother | The rest = $62,500 | Nothing (second class) |
In the Shia column, the $62,500 left after the shares returns to the daughter and mother in proportion to their shares (3 to 1); the wife does not share in the return. Real cases have more detail — use the calculator and confirm with a scholar.
Why Muslim families in the US need a will for this
If you die without a will in the US, your state's law decides who inherits — not Islamic law — and the shares are usually different. Writing your school's shares into a valid will is how most families make sure the estate is divided Islamically. See Is an Islamic will legal in the US?
Enter your family once and see each heir's share by your school, then put it in your wasiyya (will).
Use the heirs' calculatorQuestions people ask
Why does a son receive twice a daughter's share?
The Qur'an sets it (4:11). Scholars explain it alongside the man's duty to provide: a husband must pay mahr and support his wife and children, while a woman's wealth remains her own.
Do adopted children or stepchildren inherit?
Not as heirs. You can leave them part of the one-third in your will.
Can non-Muslim relatives inherit from a Muslim?
Not as heirs under the majority view, but you can leave them part of the one-third.
Is there a calculator for Islamic inheritance?
Yes. Our will builder includes an heirs' calculator for both Sunni and Shia rules, as a guide for your executor — confirm the result with a scholar.
This guide explains general rulings by school and general US practice. It is not a fatwa and not legal advice. For your own situation, ask your scholar or marjaʿ, and a licensed attorney in your state.