we would have contradicted the hadith and the Quran. If we make them share with the maternal half-siblings, will the maternal half-siblings then receive one-third? No, because these [full siblings] will be sharing with them. And if we make them share, have we complied with the Messenger’s command, peace and blessings be upon him, in his statement: “Whatever remains goes to the nearest male relative”? No. Therefore, we ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to pardon and forgive those who held this view and made the full siblings share with the maternal half-siblings. We say: they exercised independent legal reasoning; whoever does so and is correct has two rewards, and whoever is not correct has one reward.

However, if there were full sisters in place of the full brothers, they would not be excluded. Thus, if a woman died leaving behind a husband, a mother, maternal half-siblings, and two full sisters, we would say: the case is based on six shares. The husband receives one-half, three shares; the mother receives one-sixth, one share; the maternal half-siblings receive one-third, two shares; and the two full sisters receive two-thirds, four shares. It is therefore increased to ten—glory be to Allah! The law of inheritance lies beyond the reach of the human mind: if they were two full brothers, they would be excluded; but if they were two full sisters, they would inherit. Yet we say: “Your parents and your children—you do not know which of them is nearest to you in benefit. This is an obligation from Allah.”

The discussion of inheritance law from the juristic perspective is now complete—praise be to Allah—and that is what matters. All that remains is to discuss its calculation. Knowing the numerical calculations of inheritance shares is merely a means, and a means may not be necessary: if we need it, we use it; otherwise, we do not.