Quran Garden

In today's session, we'll delve into Ayah 11 of Surah An-Nisa to explore the intricate inheritance laws in Islam.  Discover how Allah's guidance ensures fairness and wisdom in dividing assets among heirs, highlighting the balance of responsibilities and rights.

Session 549

Chapter 4

Verse 11

God enjoins you concerning your children: A male receives the same as the share of two females.  If there are more than two daughters, they receive two-thirds of what you leave.  If she is one on her own, she receives a half.  Each of your parents receives a sixth of what you leave if you have children.  If you are childless and your heirs are your parents, your mother receives a third.  If you have brothers or sisters, your mother receives a sixth after any bequest you make or any debts.  Your parents or your children—you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit.  These are obligatory shares from God.  God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Chapter 4: Verse 11)

What a wonderful Lord is our Creator!  He cares for our children in a way that seems He loves them even more than we do.  His statement, "God enjoins you concerning your children," reveals His deep mercy and care for us and our loved ones.

In verse 7 of this chapter, God mentioned, "Men shall have a share in what their parents and closest relatives leave, and women shall have a share in what their parents and closest relatives leave," but left out any details.  Instead, God discussed orphans, warning you against misusing their wealth.  Why?  Because addressing these issues first fosters compassion for the vulnerable and creates anticipation in our hearts for the inheritance rules concerning our loved ones—our children and parents.  When people crave a ruling, they embrace it more deeply when presented. 

Now, in Aya 11, God declares, "God enjoins you concerning your children: A male receives the same as the share of two females." This statement provokes controversy and curiosity: Is this fair?  Why not say, 'For two females is a share equal to one male,' or 'For the female, half the share of the male'?  All these variations convey the intended meaning, right?  We answer that while all sound similar, they are quite different.  Allah wants the standard measure for inheritance to be the female's share, making the male's portion relative to it.  If it had been phrased as, 'For the female half the share of the male,' the male would have been the reference point.  Instead, the phrasing, "A male receives the same as the share of two females," positions the female's share as the yardstick. 

More critically, many argue that this arrangement is unfair to women and then call for equality.  But let's take a closer look at fairness here.  The male is obligated to provide for his wife and children, while the woman is supported by her husband or father and only financially responsible for herself.  So, whether married or not, a woman's portion is entirely hers.  In reality, she has a more advantageous position.  This is why Allah made women's portion the reference by saying, "A male receives the same as the share of two females." Is there favoritism here?  Yes, there's a preference towards women since their share is the standard; they are fully supported and can enjoy financial security without the obligation to help other family members.

The verse continues, "If there are more than two daughters, they receive two-thirds of what you leave.  If she is one on her own, she receives a half." You may have noticed that the verse spells out rules for when the deceased has either one daughter or more than two.  This leaves out the prevalent scenario of having precisely two daughters!  Why?  We answer that the Quran encourages thought by challenging our intellect to study and draw conclusions from God's book.  Allah dignified humanity with intellect and wants to engage your mind whenever you read the Quran.  Just as you exercise your muscles with heavier and heavier weights, you should sharpen your brain with problem-solving abilities and reasoning skills, especially in matters as crucial as religion.  Don't we do the same with our children?  Games you play with your baby, such as hiding an object where your child guesses the hand in which it is hidden, are designed to stimulate the mind.  A child observes subtle signs.  Maybe one fist is a little bigger, shaky, or sweaty.  This helps children practice deduction and insight.  Such playful challenges develop a child's capacity for inference and learning. 

The Quran doesn't present laws in a dry legal code format but develops rulings across different contexts, chapters, and verses promoting thought and research.  Take, for example, the intertwining of orphan care with inheritance rules to activate our intellect and strengthen social bonds.  If your mind fixates on specifics, you might miss the broader picture.

Let's use our research and deduction skills to find the ruling.  If a person has no sons but more than two daughters, the daughters receive two-thirds of the inheritance.  If there is a male among them, the male gets twice the share of the female.  Should there be only one daughter, she gets half of the inheritance.  The Quran doesn't explicitly state what happens if a person leaves two daughters behind, yet scholars deduced that two daughters are entitled to one-third each. 

To help you understand more fully, we look at another verse in the Quran.  God says,

They ask you for a ruling.  Say, "God gives you a ruling about inheritance from someone who dies childless with no surviving parents.  If a man leaves a sister, she is entitled to half of the inheritance; if she has no child, her brother is her sole heir; if there are two sisters, they are entitled to two-thirds of the inheritance between them, but if there are surviving brothers and sisters, the male is entitled to twice the share of the female.  God makes this clear to you so that you do not make mistakes: He has full knowledge of everything." (4:176)

Interestingly, God gave us the rule of inheritance for one or multiple daughters in the 11^th aya of Surah An-Nisaa; then the rule for two sisters in aya 176.   Now, we can adopt the rule for two sisters and apply it toward daughters and the rule for multiple daughters and apply it to sisters; the picture is complete. 

Allah explains that two sisters receive two-thirds of the inheritance of a childless person, suggesting that daughters, being closer in relations to the deceased, must receive at least the same.  If a daughter shares the inheritance with her brother, she receives one-third; if she's alone, she gets half.  We conclude that with two daughters, each gets one-third. 

Notice how the phrase, "They ask you for a ruling," reflects the early believers' eagerness to understand divine guidance—even beyond what was already revealed.  The first Muslims sought guidance out of love for God's instructions, genuinely desiring His clarity and direction.

We continue with the verse under study.  God says, "Each of your parents receives a sixth of what you leave if you have children.  If you are childless and your heirs are your parents, your mother receives a third.  If you have brothers or sisters, your mother receives a sixth." If a childless person dies, his mother inherits one-third and the father two-thirds.  If this person had siblings, the mother receives only one-sixth after all debts are settled and bequests are honored.  In general, bequests –which are gifts that are made as part of a will or trust- should be honored first.  Why?  Because debts have active claimants who will chase after them, while bequests do not, making them easy to ignore. 

The verse concludes with, "Your parents or your children—you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit." Allah is warning you against basing your will on perceived benefit—A person close to death may look at God's distribution of inheritance and decide that he would like to leave his children more than God's share.  He may logically think, "My parents will die soon, while my children have a long life ahead, so I am going to give my children more money now." Or, "My parents are sick, so I will give them more since my children are strong and have full-time jobs." Allah alone knows where the true benefit lies, making Him the best architect of inheritance laws.  God's enduring knowledge and wisdom underscore these commands: do not act like you know more than your Creator! 

Inheritance is a crucial topic for every Muslim.  We hope you gained valuable insights into the wisdom of Islamic inheritance laws from today's session.  We will have more enlightening content about this vital topic in the next few weeks.  Hit the like, subscribe, and bell icons now.