The fixed shares and the conditions attached to each holder. The rules in this chapter are agreed upon across the madhhabs (grounded in revealed text and ijma’), so its content lines up with any faraidh book — what follows here follows the order of presentation used in al-Mulakhkhash al-Fiqhi.
Six numbers, twelve main situations
flowchart TB
classDef separo fill:#1e3a8a,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#dbeafe
classDef sepertiga fill:#134e4a,stroke:#14b8a6,color:#ccfbf1
classDef seenam fill:#713f12,stroke:#ca8a04,color:#fef9c3
A["1/2 · 1/4 · 1/8<br/>('spouse family & lone female descendant')"]:::separo --> A1["husband without descendants → 1/2<br/>husband with descendants → 1/4<br/>wife without descendants → 1/4<br/>wife with descendants → 1/8<br/>1 daughter/granddaughter/sister alone → 1/2"]:::separo
B["2/3 · 1/3<br/>('two-or-more groups')"]:::sepertiga --> B1["2+ daughters / granddaughters /<br/>full sisters / paternal half-sisters → 2/3<br/>mother (light condition) → 1/3<br/>2+ maternal half-siblings → 1/3 split evenly"]:::sepertiga
C["1/6<br/>('companion shares')"]:::seenam --> C1["father & mother together with descendants<br/>grandfather · grandmother<br/>granddaughter completing 2/3<br/>paternal half-sister completing 2/3<br/>1 maternal half-sibling"]:::seenam
Table of conditions per heir
| Heir | Share | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2 → 1/4 | Drops to 1/4 if the deceased has an inheriting descendant |
| Wife (1–4, sharing) | 1/4 → 1/8 | Same pattern |
| Father | 1/6; or 1/6 + remainder; or pure ‘ashabah | Son present → 1/6; only daughters present → 1/6 + remainder; no descendants → ‘ashabah |
| Mother | 1/3 → 1/6 | Drops to 1/6 if there are descendants OR 2+ siblings of the deceased (any kind, even if they are mahjub); the 1/3-of-the-remainder case is in chapter 09 |
| Grandfather | same as father | When the father is absent; interaction with siblings → chapter 08 |
| Grandmother (one or more, sharing) | 1/6 | Blocked by the mother |
| 1 daughter | 1/2; 2+ → 2/3 | Without a son (if there is one, ‘ashabah at 2:1 — chapter 04) |
| Son’s daughter | 1/2; 2+ → 2/3; 1/6 together with 1 daughter | The 1/6 completes the 2/3 (a ruling of Ibn Mas’ud from the Prophet ﷺ — Bukhari 6736); blocked by a son or by 2 daughters (unless there is a supporting grandson) |
| 1 full sister | 1/2; 2+ → 2/3 | Only in kalalah (no descendants and no father) |
| Paternal half-sister | 1/2; 2+ → 2/3; 1/6 together with 1 full sister | Same completing pattern; blocked by a full brother / 2 full sisters (without a supporter) |
| 1 maternal half-sibling | 1/6; 2+ → 1/3 split evenly | Kalalah; the only case where male = female (An-Nisa 12) |
Definition of “inheriting descendant” throughout the table: a child, or a son’s child, male or female.
Three patterns to memorize
- The spouse’s share halves when there are descendants (1/2→1/4; 1/4→1/8).
- “One = 1/2, two-or-more = 2/3” applies uniformly to four groups of female heirs (daughter, son’s daughter, full sister, paternal half-sister).
- 1/6 = the companion shares: parents alongside children, grandparents, the two “2/3-completers”, and a lone maternal half-sibling.
Those two 2/3-completers (a son’s daughter alongside a daughter; a paternal half-sister alongside a full sister) are how the revealed text keeps a single female line’s maximum share at 2/3 — not an isolated, stand-alone figure.
Sources: al-Mulakhkhash al-Fiqhi, Kitab al-Faraidh — chapter on ashabul furudh and the chapter on sisters inheriting alongside daughters (Shamela 11811); at-Tahqiqat al-Mardhiyyah, discussion of al-furudh al-muqaddarah; Quran An-Nisa 11, 12, 176; Bukhari 6736. Full list in 15-references.