to the exclusion of the paternal grandmother. If the paternal grandmother is nearer in degree, however, they divide the one-sixth equally. Only two lines of grandmothers inherit: the mother’s mother and her direct maternal ascendants, and the father’s mother and her direct maternal ascendants. Neither the father’s father’s mother nor the mother’s father’s mother inherits.

Chapter: The Inheritance of Spouses

The husband receives one-half of his wife’s estate if she leaves no child. If she leaves a child, male or female, by him or another man, or a son’s child, he receives one-quarter. The wife receives one-quarter of her husband’s estate if he leaves neither a child nor a grandchild. If he leaves a child, male or female, by her or another woman, or a son’s child, she receives one-eighth. If a man leaves several wives, they divide the one-eighth or one-quarter equally among themselves, receiving no more than that collectively. Wives whose marriages have been consummated and those whose marriages have not been consummated are equal in inheritance.

Chapter: The Inheritance of the Grandfather

The paternal grandfather, however far up the paternal line, inherits as the father does when there is no intervening father and the deceased leaves no full or paternal half-siblings. The exception is the two cases known as al-Gharrāwayn: alongside the grandfather and either the wife or the husband, the mother receives one-third of the estate, unlike her share alongside the father. Thus, the grandfather receives the entire estate when he is the sole heir. If heirs entitled to prescribed shares are present, he is allotted one-sixth, which is not reduced except through proportional reduction.

Chapter: The Inheritance of Full and Paternal Half-Siblings

A full brother receives the entire estate when he is the sole heir. If there is more than one full brother, they divide the estate equally. Alongside heirs entitled to prescribed shares, he inherits whatever remains as a residuary heir. If their prescribed shares exhaust the estate, he—or they, if there are several full brothers—receives nothing, unless those whose shares exhaust the estate include maternal half-siblings who inherit one-third. In that case, the full brothers share that third with them as maternal half-siblings. This inheritance case is called al-Mushtaraka (the Shared Case), also known as al-Himāriyya (the Donkey Case). If any remainder is left for the full brothers, however, they receive only that remainder, even if it is less than what the maternal half-siblings receive.