An example of this is where a deceased person leaves behind a grandfather, two paternal brothers, and one full sister. The grandfather receives one-third. This leaves two-thirds. The full sister receives one-half, which is one and a half of the two-thirds—that is, half of the three shares—leaving half a share, i.e., one-sixth of the estate, for the paternal brothers. This is the meaning of his statement: “Their female takes the completion of her prescribed share, and whatever remains goes to the children of the father.”

If the heirs are a grandfather, two full sisters, and two paternal brothers, then the grandfather’s inheritance is one-third and the two full sisters receive two-thirds, leaving nothing for the paternal brothers.

The correct view is that the grandfather is a father and excludes all siblings—praise be to Allah. This is the view which, upon reflection, one finds to be decisively required. For if these details were part of Allah’s law, then there would be a deficiency in the explanation provided by the Quran and the sunnah. From beginning to end, the Book contains none of this detail; and if you examine the sunnah, hadith by hadith, you will find none of this detail in it. Had this detail been part of Allah’s law, Allah, exalted is He, would not have omitted it, nor would His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. This alone is sufficient to invalidate that view and to establish the correct view, from which a person examining the matter has no license to depart for any other, for it is clear.