A plain-language guide to Sunni farāʾiḍ: who your heirs are, their fixed shares, the order in which your estate is settled, and the terms you'll encounter along the way.
Distributing a deceased Muslim's estate according to the fixed shares prescribed in the Qurʾān is a duty upon those left behind.
Al-Mawārīth transforms these rulings, found in Qurʾān 4:11, 4:12, and 4:176 and explained in the Sunnah, into an accurate, transparent calculation that you can understand and verify.
Your heirs' fixed Qurʾānic shares (farāʾiḍ), the residue to your agnates (ʿaṣabah), ʿawl and radd, all computed exactly for you.
As you build the family tree, discover who inherits, who is blocked (ḥajb), and the evidence behind every ruling, so you don't just calculate the shares; you understand the fiqh.
For a binding distribution, request a qualified scholar or Mawārīth expert to review your family's exact circumstances and issue a signed Al-Mawārīth report.
When the 9th-century mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī wrote the treatise that gave algebra its name, al-Kitāb al-Mukhtaṣar fī Ḥisāb al-Jabr wa-l-Muqābala, he devoted its entire final section, the largest in the book, to solving inheritance problems under Islamic law.
The exact fractions, proportions, and unknowns demanded by ʿilm al-farāʾiḍ (the science of the shares) directly stimulated the development of algebra and of systematic, rational analysis. This calculator solves the same problems today.
Funeral, shrouding, and burial expenses are settled first, followed by outstanding debts (including unpaid Zakāt that was due, mahr, and kaffārāt). Finally, any valid bequest (waṣiyyah) of up to one-third of the estate is fulfilled, if applicable.
The spouse, parents, daughters, sons' daughters, grandmothers, and other prescribed heirs (dhawū al-furūḍ) receive their fixed Qurʾānic shares.
Any remaining estate passes to the nearest eligible agnatic heir (ʿaṣabah) in the prescribed order: sons, then sons' sons, father, paternal grandfather (subject to scholarly differences of opinion), full and paternal brothers, full and paternal brothers' sons (nephews), full and paternal uncles, and their sons (cousins).
Apply ʿawl if the prescribed shares exceed the estate, or radd if a surplus remains and is returned to the eligible heirs. Then view each heir's exact share.
Qurʾān 4:11–12 and 4:176 assign fixed fractions to named heirs: spouses, parents, daughters, grandmothers, and maternal half-siblings. For example:
The calculator implements each fixed share and every condition that changes it. Each result cites the fraction applied and the rule behind it, so the reasoning can be checked line by line.
Whatever remains after the fixed shares passes to the deceased's nearest agnate, the ʿaṣabah, in a fixed order: sons and their sons; then the father and grandfather; then brothers and their sons; then paternal uncles and their sons, as far as the ibn al-ʿamm (paternal cousin). A nearer agnate always excludes a more distant one.
The calculator resolves this order for you, identifying the residuary and showing the reasoning at each step.
A dedicated course will soon explain each rule in depth. In the meantime, use our calculator with different family scenarios and see for yourself how every share is derived.
If the fixed shares of the heirs exceed the value of the estate, each share is reduced proportionally so that the total equals the whole estate. No eligible heir is excluded; instead, every fixed share is reduced by the same proportion.
If the fixed shares do not exhaust the estate and there is no eligible agnatic heir (ʿaṣabah) to inherit the remainder, the surplus is returned proportionally to the eligible Qurʾānic heirs (dhawū al-furūḍ), excluding the spouse.
A waqf is a permanent endowment in which an asset is preserved while its benefits are dedicated to a permissible purpose. It is a form of ṣadaqah jāriyah (ongoing charity), whose reward continues after a person's death.
The benefits are dedicated to the public, such as mosques, wells, schools, hospitals, or feeding those in need.
The benefits support the founder's descendants or other designated family members. When the family line ends, the waqf passes to charitable causes. It must not be used to deprive the Qurʾānic heirs of their prescribed rights.
The benefits are divided between the founder's family and charitable causes.
Money is endowed and invested, while the capital is preserved. The investment returns are then spent on the designated charitable or family purpose.
No. It is an educational guide that accurately applies the standard Sunni rules of farāʾiḍ. However, a binding distribution depends on who is alive at the time of death and may involve cases requiring scholarly judgement. For a binding, signed distribution, request a review by a qualified scholar or Mawārīth expert.
It applies the Sunni rules of farāʾiḍ that are broadly agreed upon across the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, including the principles of ʿawl and radd. Where the schools differ, the calculator says so: the paternal grandfather inheriting alongside siblings is flagged for scholarly review, and where the paternal grandmother survives with the father the results apply the Ḥanafī, Shāfiʿī and Mālikī ruling by default and let you view the Ḥanbalī ruling as well.
A wife receives 1/4 of the estate if the deceased leaves no descendants, and 1/8 if the deceased leaves descendants (Qurʾān 4:12). The calculator updates her share automatically as you add or remove heirs.
These are special cases with specific rulings. An adopted child does not inherit through farāʾiḍ, while the inheritance of a non-Muslim relative depends on rulings that should be reviewed by a qualified scholar. Flag these cases when requesting a scholarly review.
It depends on whether the superannuation benefit is paid to the estate or directly to a nominated beneficiary under a binding nomination. Include it in the estate only if it forms part of the assets to be distributed, and consult a qualified scholar regarding the applicable rulings in your jurisdiction.