3 – The avenues of agnatic succession are five: 1) fatherhood, 2) sonship, 3) brotherhood and their sons, 4) paternal uncles and their sons, and 5) the bond of emancipation (walāʾ).

When two or more agnates are present, the one nearer in line takes precedence; if they belong to the same line, the one closer in degree is preferred; and if they are equal in degree, the stronger takes priority. This last situation arises only among the descendants of the ascendants—brothers, paternal uncles, and their sons. That is the meaning of his words, “to the nearest male agnate,” namely, the one nearest in line, in degree, or in strength.

4 – The ḥadith makes it clear that the fixed-share heir comes before the agnate in distribution, and that when the prescribed shares exhaust the estate the agnate is excluded in every problem of inheritance, even in the case called al-musharraqah.

5 – His statement, “Assign the farāʾiḍ to those who are entitled to them,” indicates that when the fixed-share heirs are many and their allotted portions compete, and none of them excludes another, ʿawl (proportional reduction) is applied and their shares are reduced according to the degree of that ʿawl.

6 – The ḥadith also shows that if no fixed-share heir exists, the entire estate goes to the agnate or agnates; and if no agnate is found, the estate is returned (radd) to the fixed-share heirs in proportion to their shares, just as their shares are reduced through ʿawl when they crowd together—except for the spouses, to whom no radd is made, as will be explained, Allah willing.

7 – The wisdom behind limiting agnatic succession to men and allotting them a larger portion than women is that men are responsible for maintenance, dowries, blood-money on behalf of the kin group, financial emergencies, and other obligations, whereas women are provided for and exempt from many material liabilities. This is true justice and fairness between the sexes, and Allah knows best.