Islamic Inheritance Calculator

Islamic Inheritance Calculator (Faraid)

Distributing a loved one’s estate according to Islamic law is a religious obligation — and the mathematics of faraid (the fixed-share inheritance system) is famously intricate. Our free Islamic inheritance calculator handles the core cases: enter the estate value and surviving heirs, select a madhhab (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, or Hanbali), and get each heir’s Quranic share, percentage, and amount, with the classical adjustment rules — ‘awl (proportional reduction), radd (return of residue), and ‘asaba (residuary distribution) — applied automatically and explained in plain language. A chart shows every heir’s portion at a glance, and you can copy, share, or print the full distribution.

How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter the total estate value — the net estate after funeral expenses, debts, and any valid bequest (wasiyya, up to one-third) have been settled. These come off the top before any heir receives a share.
2. Select the madhhab. The four Sunni schools agree on all primary shares; they differ only in specific extended cases such as grandfather vs. brothers.
3. Mark the surviving heirs — spouse (one only), father, mother, paternal grandfather, and the number of sons, daughters, and full brothers. Use the quick-add chips for common family scenarios.
4. Read the distribution table — each heir’s share, percentage, and amount — plus explanatory notes whenever ‘awl, radd, or exclusion rules apply.

The Fixed Shares (Quran, 4:11–12, 4:176)

• Husband: 1/2 if no children; 1/4 if children exist
• Wife: 1/4 if no children; 1/8 if children exist (shared equally if multiple wives)
• Father: 1/6 when the deceased has children (plus the residue); the entire residue when there are no children
• Mother: 1/3 normally; 1/6 when the deceased has children or two or more siblings
• Daughters (no sons): 1/2 for one daughter; 2/3 shared by two or more
• Sons: no fixed share — they take the residue, sharing 2:1 with daughters (“to the male twice the share of the female”)

How Distribution Works: The Four Steps

1. Settle obligations first. Funeral expenses, then debts, then bequests (up to one-third of the estate, and not to an heir in the majority view) are paid before division.

2. Assign fixed shares to the Quranic sharers listed above.

3. Give the residue to the nearest residuary (‘asaba) in order: sons (2:1 with daughters), then father, then paternal grandfather, then full brothers. Whoever is nearest excludes those further away — e.g., a living father excludes the grandfather entirely, and sons exclude brothers.

4. Apply adjustments when needed:
– ‘Awl (proportional reduction): if fixed shares total more than 100% — the classical case is husband (1/4) + mother (1/6) + two daughters (2/3) = 13/12 — every share is scaled down proportionally (to thirteenths: 3/13, 2/13, 8/13).
– Radd (return): if no residuary heir exists and something remains — e.g., only a daughter survives (fixed 1/2) — the remainder returns to the fixed-sharers (excluding the spouse) in proportion to their shares. A sole daughter thus receives 100%.

Worked Example

Estate: $120,000. Heirs: wife, father, mother, one son, one daughter.

1. Wife: 1/8 (children exist) = $15,000
2. Father: 1/6 = $20,000
3. Mother: 1/6 (children exist) = $20,000
4. Fixed total: $55,000. Residue: $65,000
5. Son and daughter share the residue 2:1 → son $43,333.33, daughter $21,666.67

Total distributed: $120,000. Try it in the calculator — the table, notes, and chart all update live.

Where the Madhhabs Differ

For the primary heirs this calculator covers, all four Sunni schools agree. Genuine differences appear in extended cases, the most famous being the paternal grandfather vs. full brothers: the Hanafi school gives the entire residue to the grandfather (excluding the brothers), while the Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools divide the residue between grandfather and brothers by muqasama (the grandfather takes the more favorable of one-third of the residue or an equal brother’s portion). Select a madhhab in the calculator to see this case handled accordingly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Dividing before paying debts. Debts, funeral costs, and bequests come off the top — the fixed shares apply only to what remains.
• Counting the grandfather alongside the father. A living father excludes the paternal grandfather completely.
• Giving daughters fixed shares when sons exist. With sons present, daughters share the residue 2:1 instead of taking the fixed 1/2 or 2/3.
• Forgetting ‘awl. When fixed shares exceed 100%, every share shrinks proportionally — you can’t just pay everyone their nominal share.
• Treating the result as final. This is a simplified tool; always have the distribution verified by a qualified scholar before acting on it.