Islamic Inheritance Calculator
Free Faraid tool — All 4 Madhabs — Transparent Calculation — PDF Report
Step 1: Estate & Settings
Estate Details & Settings
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How Does the Islamic Inheritance Calculator Work?
This tool implements the complete Faraid (فرائض) system as prescribed in Surah An-Nisa of the Holy Quran. Every calculation follows the scholarly consensus on fixed shares (Zawi al-Furud), residuary inheritance (Asaba), proportionate reduction (Awl), and proportionate return (Radd) — and our calculation trace shows you exactly which rule was applied and why.
How is Islamic Inheritance Calculated Manually?
The manual Faraid calculation follows a strict step-by-step methodology:
| Step | Action | Rule / Formula |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calculate Net Estate | Net = Total Assets − Funeral − Debts − Zakat − Wasiyyah (≤ 1/3) |
| 2 | Assign Fixed Shares (Fard) | Spouse, mother, father (with children), daughters, grandmothers, uterine siblings each receive prescribed fractions |
| 3 | Assign Residuary (Asaba) | Sons, father (without children), grandfather, brothers take remainder in 2:1 (male:female) ratio |
| 4 | Check for Awl | If Σ(Fard) > 1, scale all shares: ShareNew = ShareOld ÷ Σ(Fard) |
| 5 | Check for Radd | If Σ(Assigned) < 1, return remainder proportionally to non-spouse heirs (Maliki: includes spouse) |
What Are the Fixed Shares (Zawi al-Furud)?
Six specific fractions appear in Faraid: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/3, 2/3, and 1/6. Each heir receives one of these fractions under specific conditions:
| Heir | With Children | Without Children | Quranic Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Husband | 1/4 | 1/2 | Quran 4:12 |
| Wife (or Wives) | 1/8 (shared) | 1/4 (shared) | Quran 4:12 |
| Mother | 1/6 | 1/3 (or 1/6 with 2+ siblings) | Quran 4:11 |
| Father | 1/6 + residue | Pure Asaba (all residue) | Quran 4:11 |
| Single Daughter (no son) | 1/2 | Quran 4:11 | |
| 2+ Daughters (no son) | 2/3 (shared) | Quran 4:11 | |
| Uterine Sibling (1) | 1/6 | Quran 4:12 | |
| Uterine Siblings (2+) | 1/3 (shared) | Quran 4:12 | |
Why Does the Wife Receive Less Than the Husband?
This is one of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of Faraid. The wife receives 1/4 or 1/8 while the husband receives 1/2 or 1/4 — seemingly half. However, Islamic law places the full financial burden of the family on the husband. He must pay the Mahr (dowry), provide housing, food, and clothing for the wife and children. The wife's inheritance is her own property — she has zero financial obligations toward the family from it. When viewed in the complete Islamic economic framework, women typically accumulate wealth while men spend it on family maintenance.
What Happens When There Are No Residuary Heirs?
When fixed shares are distributed but no Asaba (residuary) heir exists to take the remainder, the Radd (return) rule applies. The leftover estate is returned proportionally to the fixed-share heirs — excluding the spouse in the Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali madhabs. Only the Maliki school allows the spouse to participate in the Radd distribution, which is why selecting your madhab correctly is critical to an accurate result.
The Mushtaraka (Shared) Case and the Grandmothers
Two further differences are built into the engine. In the Mushtaraka (al-Himariyyah) case — where a spouse, the mother, two or more uterine siblings, and full siblings inherit together and the fixed shares leave nothing over — the Maliki and Shafi'i schools enter the full siblings into the uterine siblings' 1/3 and split it equally per head, while the Hanafi and Hanbali schools give the full siblings nothing. The calculator also distinguishes the maternal grandmother (blocked only by the mother) from the paternal grandmother (blocked by the mother and the father); when both inherit they share 1/6 equally.
A third named case is the Akdariyyah: a spouse, the mother, the paternal grandfather, and one lone sister. In the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools the sister is raised to her 1/2 fixed share, the totals are reduced by ʿawl, and the grandfather and sister then combine their portions and split them two-to-one — giving, for example, a husband 9/27, the mother 6/27, the grandfather 8/27, and the sister 4/27. In the Hanafi school the grandfather blocks the sister entirely, so she inherits nothing.
How to Use This Calculator for Estate Planning
This tool is designed for two primary use cases: (1) estate planning — understanding how your current assets would be distributed if you were to pass away today, allowing you to make informed decisions about your 1/3 Wasiyyah; and (2) active estate distribution — providing families with a transparent, Shariah-compliant breakdown to facilitate a fair and documented distribution process. Always download the PDF report and retain it with your estate documents.