The verse concerning (children) indicates that the ruling for more than two daughters is the same as that for two. Likewise, concerning sisters, He says, “If there are two, they receive two-thirds of what he leaves,” without mentioning more than two. For if two sisters are entitled to two-thirds, then a greater number are all the more entitled to that share. This differs from the verse concerning daughters: His words, “A male receives the share of two females,” indicate only that a daughter receives one-third alongside her brother. When there are two daughters, she is no longer entitled to one-third. Thus, the explanation in each verse is most eloquent.

Since the initial wording indicated the inheritance of two daughters, but not of more than two, He subsequently explained the inheritance of more than two daughters. In the “summer verse,” however, the wording indicated the inheritance of two sisters, which, by stronger implication, also indicated the inheritance of three, four, or more. There was therefore no need to mention more than two sisters.

Thus, in the former passage He mentioned more than two daughters without mentioning two daughters; in the other verse He mentioned two daughters without mentioning more than two, as clarity of expression required in each context. Having explained the ruling for one sister and one brother, and for two or more sisters, it remained to explain the case of two or more daughters from both categories, so that the explanation would encompass every division.

The word ikhwah (“siblings”), like all other plural expressions, may denote a category without specifying its number, thus including two or more. It may also mean three or more. In this verse, however, it signifies plurality without further restriction, because He had already explained the case of one. Moreover, in the inheritance rulings He mentioned, He distinguished between one and more than one, while treating the different numbers—two and three—alike. He stated this explicitly in His words:

“If a man or woman leaves an estate, having neither a father nor offspring,”

through to His words:

“They share in one-third.”

Thus, His expression (kānū, “they are”)