سورة النساء

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Why is the son's share of inheritance equal to the share of two daughters?" The Imam said: "Because Allah has placed the woman's dowry (mahr) upon it (the men's share)."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): The reason women receive half the share of men in inheritance is that when a woman marries, she receives a dowry (mahr), and it is the man who must pay it. Another reason is that the woman is part of the man's household, and when she is in need, the man must provide her with maintenance and expenses (nafaqah), whereas the woman is not required to bear the man's expenses or pay his maintenance when he is in need. For this reason, Allah made the men's share of inheritance greater than the women's, and He also says in this verse: الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَی بَعْضٍ وَ بِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ [Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them excel over others and because they spend out of their wealth].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Yunus ibn Abd al-Rahman said: I said to Imam Rida (peace be upon him): "May I be your ransom, if a man dies, his children — whether sons or daughters — are of equal rank and closeness in relation to him; so why do daughters inherit half the share of sons, while they are weaker and less resourceful than men?" He said: "Because Allah the Exalted gave men one degree of superiority over women [in financial matters], since the expenses of women are the responsibility of men."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Salim said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Why is the son's share of inheritance equal to the share of two daughters?" The Imam said: "Because the grains that Adam and Hawwa ate in Paradise were eighteen grains; Adam (peace be upon him) ate twelve of them, and Hawwa ate six of them, and therefore the inheritance of the male became double that of the female."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Rida (peace be upon him) narrates from his forefathers that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: A man from the people of Sham asked Imam Ali (peace be upon him): "Why is the son's inheritance double that of the daughter?" He said: "Because of that ear [of grain] and wheat [which was in Paradise], which had three seeds and grains, and Hawwa intended to eat it and ate one grain of it and gave two grains to Adam (peace be upon him) [to eat]. For this reason, the son's share of inheritance is equal to the share of two daughters."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): If a man dies and leaves behind sons and daughters, the son's share of the inheritance is equal to the share of two daughters.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Abu Umar al-Abdi narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) that he said: The fixed shares (fara'id) are calculated out of six shares. Thus two-thirds is four out of the six shares, one-half is three shares of it, one-third is two shares, one-quarter is one and a half shares, and one-eighth is three-quarters of a share out of the six shares. When there is a child, none of the heirs inherit except the father, the mother, the husband and the wife. Nothing bars the mother from the third that is her portion except the child, or brothers of the deceased who have been left behind. The husband of the deceased inherits neither more than one-half nor less than one-quarter, just as the wife of the deceased inherits neither more than one-quarter nor less than one-eighth — whether the deceased has left four wives or fewer; so where four wives have been left behind, they all divide the quarter or the eighth equally among themselves. The maternal brothers and sisters of the deceased inherit no more than one-third, and no less than one-sixth. It should be noted that they must divide the third or the sixth equally among themselves, and their males and females take equal shares; and the only ones who bar them from the third and reduce it to a sixth are the child and the father of the deceased. At the end, the Imam said: The blood-money (diya) of the slain must be distributed among those who inherit from him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Jabir narrated: Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' was martyred in the Battle of Uhud. [One day] the Prophet visited his wife, and she brought her two daughters to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! The father of these two girls was killed in the Battle of Uhud, and their uncle has taken all of their wealth and inheritance, and because of this the two of them cannot marry unless they possess some wealth." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "Allah will soon give a ruling in this matter." Then Allah revealed this verse: يُوصِیکُمُ اللهُ فِی أَوْلادِکُمْ [Allah enjoins you concerning your children]. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) summoned their uncle and said, "Give the two daughters two-thirds of the wealth, give one-eighth of it to their mother, and what remains is yours."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man who left behind full brothers and sisters (from the same father and mother) and a grandfather. The Imam (peace be upon him) said, "The grandfather is like one of the brothers, and the wealth is divided among them according to the rule لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan narrates that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "The grandfather and the paternal brothers, in receiving inheritance, are like one of the brothers of the deceased." I said: "What is the ruling of inheritance concerning a person from whom only his full brother (from the same father and mother) and his grandfather [or his paternal brother] remain? And in another place I asked: what is the ruling of inheritance concerning a man from whom only his grandfather and his full brother remain?" The Imam said: "Whether they be two brothers or a hundred brothers, the inheritance is divided among them, and the grandfather of the deceased receives one share equal to the share of the brothers." I said: "What is the ruling of inheritance concerning a man from whom only his grandfather and his sister remain?" He said: "The share of the man is twice that of the woman, and if there are two sisters, half of the inheritance is for the grandfather and the other half is for the two sisters, and if the number of sisters is more than this, the method of calculation is the same. And if from the deceased there remain only one sister and full sisters (from the same father and mother) or paternal sisters and his grandfather, then in the ruling of inheritance his grandfather is counted as one of his brothers, and among them the inheritance is divided between the men and women in the ratio of two to one. Zurarah said: I have not said this matter from myself; rather, I heard it from the Infallible and his fathers, and among us (the Shia) there is no doubt or disagreement in this matter."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurarah said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about [the ruling of inheritance concerning] a man from whom a full brother (from the same father and mother) along with his grandfather remain. He said: "It is divided between them into two halves, whether they be two brothers or a hundred brothers, and the ruling of the grandfather is like the ruling of one of the brothers and he inherits the same amount. And he said: If his sister and his grandfather remain from him, then for his grandfather are two shares and for his sister is one share. But if they are two sisters, then half of the property is for the grandfather and the other half of the property is for the two sisters. If brothers and sisters and a grandfather remain from him, the grandfather is in the ruling of one of the brothers, and لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Yunus ibn Ammar said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zurarah narrates from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that, along with the mother, father, son and daughter, no one else inherits anything except a husband or a wife. Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "I am not permitted to reject what you have narrated from Zurarah from my father Imam Baqir (peace be upon him). As for what is in the Book of Allah in Surah al-Nisa, He says: يُوصِیکُمُ اللهُ فِی أَوْلادِکُمْ لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ فَإِنْ کُنَّ نِساءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَیْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثا ما تَرَکَ وَ إِنْ کانَتْ واحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَ لِأَبَوَیْهِ لِکُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَکَ إِنْ کانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ یَکُنْ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَ وَرِثَهُ أَبَواهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ فَإِنْ کانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ [Allah enjoins you concerning your children: The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females; then if they are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what the deceased has left, and if there is one, she shall have the half; and as for his parents, each of them shall have the sixth of what he has left if he has a child, but if he has no child and (only) his two parents inherit him, then his mother shall have the third; but if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth] — meaning full brothers (from the same father and mother) and paternal brothers. And this [ruling, drawn from] the Book [is familiar and established, having been inherited from the prophets down to here, so know that daughters], if they are many, [do not inherit more than two-thirds]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who died and whose heirs were his two daughters and his father. He said: "For his father is one-sixth (al-sudus), and the rest is for the two daughters; and even if there had been more daughters and sons as well, nothing would have been deducted from the deceased's father's one-sixth share." I said: "What if he has only daughters, sons and his mother as heirs?" He said: "One-sixth goes to the mother, and the rest is divided among them according to لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females] — a ratio of two to one for males over females."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man whose heirs are his maternal uncle and his grandfather. He said: "The property is divided [equally] between the two." I asked about a man whose heirs are his sister, his brother and his grandfather. He said: "Firstly, the male gets twice the share of the female — so for his grandfather two shares, for his brother two shares, and for his sister one share." And I asked about a man who has only his sister and his grandfather as heirs. He said: "It is divided (equally) between them."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Salamah ibn Muhriz narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "If the heirs are a paternal cousin (son of a paternal uncle) and a maternal aunt, the property goes to the maternal aunt. If the heirs are a paternal cousin and a maternal uncle, the property goes to the maternal uncle. But if the heirs are a paternal cousin and the son of a maternal aunt, it is according to the rule لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females]."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): یُوصِیکُمُ اللهُ فِی أَوْلادِکُمْ لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [Allah enjoins you concerning your children: the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females]; when a man dies and leaves behind sons and daughters, [the rule for dividing the inheritance is that] the man receives twice the share of the woman from the inheritance, and فَلِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ فَإِنْ کُنَّ نِساءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَیْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثا ما تَرَکَ [so the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females; then if they are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what he has left] means that if a man dies and his father, mother and two daughters remain, the father and mother receive two-sixths and the two daughters receive two-thirds; and if there is one daughter, one half goes to her and to each of his father and mother two-sixths, and one share remains which is divided into five shares — the portion that comprises three shares belongs to the daughter and the portion that comprises two shares is for the father and mother. If the deceased has brothers and sisters from the father and mother, or only from the father's side, one sixth is for his mother and five sixths for his father, because the paternal brothers and sisters are the father's dependants and the father is obliged to pay their expenses and maintenance, and in fact they prevent one third of the inheritance from going to the mother, and they themselves do not inherit.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): If the deceased has left a maternal uncle, a maternal aunt, a paternal uncle and a paternal aunt, one third goes to the maternal uncle and maternal aunt to be divided equally between them, and the remainder of the inheritance goes to the paternal uncle and paternal aunt, divided between the male and the female in the ratio of two to one; لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When a person dies and has no heir other than his daughters and sons, according to لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females] the inheritance is divided between the son and daughter in the ratio of two to one; but if he has one son, the entire inheritance goes to him; but if only one daughter remains from the deceased, half of the property is inherited by her under the title of inheritance and is given to her only under this title, and the remainder of the property will also be given to her, but under the title of her kinship with the deceased, because there is no one who is closer to the deceased in kinship than her.

Fiqh al-Rida (peace be upon him): When a man leaves behind a paternal brother, a maternal brother, and a full brother (from both father and mother), in this case the maternal brother takes one-sixth of the inheritance, and the remainder goes to the full brother, and the paternal brother is excluded. Likewise, if three sisters of different relations remain after him, the share of the maternal sister is one-sixth and the remainder belongs to the full sister. If two maternal brothers, or one or several maternal brothers and sisters, or one full sister, or only a paternal sister, or full brothers and sisters, or brothers and sisters only through the mother, remain, then the full brothers and sisters and the paternal brothers and sisters inherit — the male taking twice the share of the female — and the share of their children follows the same basis. If a full brother and a grandfather remain, the inheritance is divided between the two in halves; likewise, if he leaves a paternal brother and a grandfather, the inherited property is divided between the two in halves; and if a maternal brother and a grandfather remain, the maternal brother inherits one-sixth and the remainder belongs to the grandfather. If two sisters, or two brothers, or one or more maternal brothers and sisters, along with a grandfather, remain, the share of the maternal brothers and sisters is one-third, divided equally among them, and the remainder belongs to the grandfather. If one or more maternal brothers, and full brothers and sisters, and paternal brothers and sisters, along with a grandfather, remain, the maternal brothers and sisters inherit one-third, divided equally among them, and the remainder of the inheritance goes to the full brothers and sisters together with the grandfather, the share of the male being twice the share of the female, and the paternal brothers and sisters are excluded from the inheritance. If one full sister and a grandfather remain, the share of each will be one-half; and if two full sisters, or only paternal sisters, together with a grandfather remain, the sisters take two-thirds and the remainder is for the grandfather. Whoever leaves behind a paternal uncle and a grandfather, the inherited property belongs to the grandfather; and if a paternal uncle, a maternal uncle, a grandfather, and a brother remain, the property is divided between the brother and the grandfather, and the shares of the paternal and maternal uncles are excluded. If he leaves a paternal grandfather and a maternal grandfather, the share of the maternal grandfather is one-third and the share of the paternal grandfather is two-thirds; and if a maternal grandfather and grandmother and a paternal grandfather and grandmother remain, the share of the maternal grandfather and grandmother is one-third, divided equally between them, and the remainder of the inheritance goes to the paternal grandfather and grandmother, the share of the male being twice the share of the female.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him)- Muhammad ibn Muslim said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) read to me the Book of Inheritance Laws (Fara'id), which was dictated by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and written in the handwriting of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and in it I saw that it was written thus: A man who dies and leaves behind a daughter and his mother — the daughter receives half, that is, three shares, and the mother receives one-sixth, that is, one share; meaning the estate is divided into four shares: the portion consisting of three shares belongs to the daughter, and the portion consisting of one share belongs to the mother. He said: I likewise saw that it was written in that book: A man who leaves behind one daughter and his father — half of the inheritance, which is three shares, belongs to the daughter, and one-sixth is the father's share; meaning the entire estate is divided into four shares, the portion of three shares belongs to the daughter and the portion of one share belongs to the father. Muhammad said: I also read in that book: A man who leaves behind his father and mother and one daughter — the daughter inherits half of the estate, which is three shares, and the father and mother each inherit one-sixth of it. The estate is divided into five shares: the portion consisting of three shares belongs to the daughter, and the portion consisting of two shares belongs to the father and mother.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurara asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about a man who dies and leaves behind his father and mother, and he said: "The father inherits two shares and the mother inherits one share."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hamza ibn Humran said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Who inherited from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)? He said: "Fatima (peace be upon her) inherited the goods and furnishings of the house and everything that belonged to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)." Zurara narrates from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: "Ali (peace be upon him) inherited the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and Fatima (peace be upon her) inherited what remained of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) estate."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Fatima (peace be upon her) went to Abu Bakr and asked him for her share of inheritance from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Abu Bakr said: "No one inherits from the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)." Fatima (peace be upon her) said: "Do you disbelieve in Allah and reject the Quran?" Allah says: يُوصِیکُمُ اللهُ فِی أَوْلاَدِکُمْ لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الأُنثَیَیْنِ [Allah enjoins you concerning your children: the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Babawayh said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked: "Why is the Maghrib prayer three rak'ats, and the supererogatory prayers (nawafil) read after it are four rak'ats, and they are not shortened either while travelling or at home?" The Imam said: "Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed the ruling of prayer at home to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in this manner: that each prayer be two rak'ats. So the Prophet added two rak'ats to each prayer at home and shortened them while travelling, except for the Maghrib and Fajr prayers. And when he prayed Maghrib, the news of the birth of Fatima (peace be upon her) reached his blessed ears, so as thanks and gratitude to Allah the Mighty and Majestic he added one rak'at to it. And when Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) was born, out of gratitude to the Merciful Allah he added two rak'ats after it, and after the birth of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), in gratitude for this divine bounty, he added two more rak'ats to it." And he said: "لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females] — for the male the share is considered to be like the share of two females, and thereafter, while travelling and at home, he left the Maghrib prayer and these four supererogatory prayers after it as they were."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): وَ إِذا حَضَرَ الْقِسْمَةَ أُولُوا الْقُرْبی وَ الْیَتامی وَ الْمَساکِینُ فَارْزُقُوهُمْ مِنْهُ وَ قُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَعْرُوفاً [And when the relatives, the orphans and the needy are present at the division, give them something from it and speak to them kind words] ... has been abrogated by this word of Allah the Exalted: یُوصِیکُمُ اللهُ فِی أَوْلادِکُمْ لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْن [Allah enjoins you concerning your children: the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If a woman dies and her heirs are her husband, her father and mother, and her sons and daughters, then according to Allah's ruling, one-fourth goes to her husband, one-sixth to her father and mother, and the remainder goes to her children in the ratio of two to one between son and daughter.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Allah the Exalted has included the father and mother among all the heirs and has not reduced their share below one-sixth.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If the deceased has two brothers, they prevent the mother from receiving her one-third share of the inheritance, and if he has only one brother, they do not prevent her; and if he has four sisters, the mother does not receive her one-third share, because they are equivalent to two brothers, and if there are three sisters, they do not prevent the mother's share of inheritance.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The son and the brother are the only heirs whose presence increases or decreases the share of inheritance of others.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The meaning of فَإِنْ کانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ [But if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth] is brothers from the same father and mother, and brothers from the same father.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu al-Abbas al-Baqbaq narrates that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about two sisters and two brothers [who were heirs to some property]. He said: "To his mother and all his sisters [together] goes one third of the property, because Allah said: فَإِنْ کانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ [But if he has brothers], meaning: if he had brothers." And He did not say: "If he had sisters."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Abd al-Malik says: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the share of a mother and two sisters, and he said: "It is one third, because Allah says: فَإِن کَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ [But if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth]." And He does not say: "If he has sisters."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Aban ibn Taghlib narrates: The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked about a woman who died and left behind her father, mother and husband. He said: "Half of the property is for her husband, one sixth of it is for her mother, and the remainder is for her father."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu al-Abbas says: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) saying: "One brother and one sister do not exclude [the mother] from the one third, unless they are two brothers or one brother and two sisters. Allah the Exalted says: فَإِن کَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ [But if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The mother is not excluded from the one third [share], when there is no child, except by two brothers or four sisters.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zurara said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: O Zurara! What is your view about the inheritance of a man who leaves behind, after his death, his father, his mother, and his maternal brothers? I said: "The mother receives one sixth of the inheritance and the rest goes to the father." He said: "From where did you say this?" I said: "I heard that Allah the Mighty and Majestic says in the Qur'an: فَإِنْ کَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ [But if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth]." He said to me: "Woe to you, O Zurara! Those are brothers on the father's side; and if the brothers are on the mother's side, they do not prevent the mother from receiving her share of one third."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Bukayr said: A man came to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and asked: "What is the ruling on the inheritance of a woman who has died and whose heirs are her husband, along with her maternal brothers and a sister on her father's side?" He said: "The husband receives half of the entire estate, which is three sixths of the property; two sixths go to her maternal brothers; and one sixth goes to her paternal sister." The man said: "O Aba Ja'far (peace be upon him)! But the ruling of so-and-so and the ruling of the Sunnis and the judges is not like this. They say that three shares are given to the paternal sister, so that the shares change from six to eight." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "What is their evidence?" He said: "Because Allah has said: وَ لَهُ أُخْتٌ فَلَها نِصْفُ ما تَرَکَ [and he has a sister, she shall have half of what he has left]." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "And what if in place of that girl there had been a boy?" He said: "In that case only one sixth of the estate would certainly reach him." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Why do you reduce the share of the paternal brother, while in the case of the paternal sister you hold that she gets a half — on the grounds that Allah has said she gets a half? Yet Allah has said concerning the boy that the whole estate goes to him, and the whole is more than a half. For He said: فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ [she shall have half] — the girl gets a half; but concerning the boy He said: وَ هُوَ یَرِثُها [and he inherits her] — meaning that if she has no child, he inherits all of her property. So how is it that you give nothing to the one to whom Allah has given the whole estate in some of your inheritance rulings, yet you give in full to the one to whom Allah has given a half?" The man said: "May Allah set you right [and keep you firm upon it]. Then tell us, how can we give half of the property to his sister when the boy, being a boy, is given nothing? They say concerning a mother, a husband, maternal brothers and paternal sisters: they give half to the husband, one sixth to the mother, one third to the maternal brothers, and half — which is three shares out of six — to the paternal sister; so that the division breaks the shares from six into nine." The Imam said: "So if in place of that paternal sister there had been a boy who counted as a paternal brother, what would you do?" The man said: "What do you say?" The Imam said: "When the mother is present, no share of inheritance at all reaches the paternal brothers, or the maternal brothers, or the brothers on both father's and mother's side."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): "What is your ruling regarding a woman who, after her death, is inherited from by her husband, her brothers from the mother's side, and her brothers and sisters from the father's side?" The Imam said: "To the husband goes half of the inheritance, which is three shares; and to the siblings from the mother's side goes one-third, which is two shares, and there is no difference between the sister and the brother [in that share]; one share remains, which goes to the remaining brothers and sisters from the father's side — in this case, the son receives twice as much as the daughter, because nothing is reduced from the shares, and nothing is reduced from the husband's half share or from the one-third share of the siblings from the mother's side. And if they [the siblings from the mother] are more than one, they are partners in the one-third, and if there is only one brother [from the mother], his share is one-sixth, for in this noble verse it has come: وَ إِن کَانَ رَجُلٌ یُورَثُ کَلاَلَةً أَو امْرَأَةٌ وَ لَهُ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌ فَلِکُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ فَإِن کَانُوَاْ أَکْثَرَ مِن ذَلِکَ فَهُمْ شُرَکَاء فِی الثُّلُثِ [And if a man or a woman is inherited from as kalala (having neither parents nor children), and he has a brother or a sister, then each of them shall have one-sixth; but if they are more than that, they shall be partners in one-third], and what is meant by that specifically is the brothers and sisters from the mother's side."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Bukayr said: A man came to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and asked him about a woman who, upon her death, left behind her husband, her brothers from her mother, and one sister from her father. The Imam said: "For the husband, half — that is, three shares; and for the brothers from the mother, one-third, equal to two shares; and for the sister from the father, one share out of a total of six shares." The man said: "The ordinances of inheritance according to Zayd and Ibn Mas'ud, and the ordinances of the general [Sunni] community and the judges, are contrary to this, O Aba Ja'far! They say: for the sister from the father and mother there are three shares out of a total of six shares, which increases up to eight shares!" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "Why do they say so?" He said: "On the basis of the verse: وَ لَهُ أُخْتٌ فَلَهَا نِصْفُ مَا تَرَکَ [and he has a sister, then she shall have half of what he left]." Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "If you cite Allah's command as proof, then why did you reduce the right of the brother? For Allah has appointed half for the sister, whereas for the brother He has appointed the whole, and the whole is more than the half. Allah says: فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ [then for her is the half], and about the brother He says: وَ هُوَ یَرِثُهَا [and he inherits from her] — meaning the entire property of the sister, if she has no child. Yet you give nothing, in some of your distributions of inheritance, to the one for whom Allah has appointed the entire inheritance share, while you give in full to the one for whom Allah has appointed half of the inheritance share?!"

Fiqh al-Rida (peace be upon him): Know — may Allah have mercy on you — that Allah the Blessed and Exalted has apportioned the shares of inheritance according to a measured measure and a reckoned reckoning, and He has made clear the shares in His Book. Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: "وَ أُولُوا الْأَرْحامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلی بِبَعْضٍ فِی کِتابِ اللَّهِ" [And the possessors of kinship are more deserving of one another in the Book of Allah] (al-Anfal 8:75). So He made the shares of two kinds: an explained share and a summarised share. And He appointed for the husband, when she has no child, one half, and with a child one quarter — his share is neither increased nor decreased by the presence of the other heirs. In the same way, He appointed for the wife one quarter if he has no child, and one eighth if he has a child. And for the father and mother, together with a child and other participants, He appointed two sixths, which are not diminished by anything, and in some situations they inherit more than two sixths. Then He named in the Qur'an shares for the children, the brothers, the sisters and the kin, and shares based on their being kinsfolk (dhawi al-arham). He appointed the estate — after the husband, the wife, and the parents — to the nearest and then the nearest of the kin, لِلذَّکَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَیَیْنِ [for the male shall be the equal of the portion of two females]. If the kinship on the father's side and the mother's side is equal, the shares are divided according to the details of the Book of Allah; and when the kinship-ties are close to one another, the division is according to the verse of "dhawi al-arham" (the possessors of kinship). And know that the inheritance shares are six, and nothing is added upon them, and everything fits within six shares — because the human being was created from six things, as Allah says: "وَ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسانَ مِنْ سُلالَةٍ" [And indeed We created the human being from an extract of clay]… (al-Mu'minun 23:12). And the principle in inheritance is that alongside the mother, the father and the children — whether daughter or son — no other heir has a share, except the wife and the husband.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Umar ibn Udhayna narrates: I said to Zurara, "I heard Muhammad ibn Muslim and Bukayr asking Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the share of inheritance of a husband, father and mother, and one daughter, and he answered: To the husband, one quarter of the inheritance, that is three shares out of twelve; and to the father and mother, one sixth, that is four shares out of twelve; and the remainder, which is five shares, goes to the daughter — for even if the child were a son, only five shares out of twelve, that same five shares, would go to him. And if there were two daughters, they too would have five shares out of twelve; because had they been sons, nothing would reach them except what remained, that is five shares." Zurara said, "This is the truth, if you wish to set aside al-awl (the doctrine of proportional reduction) and keep the fixed shares free of al-awl. There is no doubt that the reduction falls upon those who have extra — from the children and the sisters from the same father and mother; but the husband and the brothers from the mother's side cannot have anything reduced from what Allah has appointed for them."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ruled concerning debt that it takes precedence over the bequest, though you recite in the Qur'an: مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّةٍ یُوصِی بِها أَوْ دَیْنٍ [after (the payment of) a bequest he may have bequeathed or a debt]; and he ruled that brothers from the mother's side inherit, not those from the father's side, and a person inherits from his brother of the same father and mother, not from his brother of the father alone.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In the verse: مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِیَّةٍ تُوصُونَ بِها أَوْ دَیْنٍ [after (the payment of) a bequest which you may have bequeathed or a debt], you read that the bequest comes before debts and dues, whereas the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) [as a precaution] would place debts and dues before the bequest.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The debt is before the bequest, then the bequest follows the debt, then the inheritance; and there is no bequest for an heir.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The first thing to be taken from the wealth [of the deceased] is [the purchase of] the shroud, then [the payment of] his debts, then [the carrying out of] the bequest, and after that the giving of the heirs' shares.