as well as Alī, Zayd, and the four imams. The basis for Umar’s ruling was unclear to Ibn Abbās, so he allotted the mother one-third, and a group agreed with him. Umar’s ruling is more correct, for Allah granted the mother one-third only when the deceased’s parents alone inherit from him. As He says:

“If he has no children and his parents are his only heirs, his mother shall receive one-third.”

[Surah al-Nisā: 11]

Thus, He granted her one-third when the deceased’s parents alone inherit from him. What remains after the prescribed share of either spouse is an inheritance for the two parents (1), which they divide in the same proportion as they would have divided the entire estate. Likewise, if the deceased had a debt or bequest, they divide what remains into thirds.

As for his assertion:

“Alī corrected Umar in many cases in which Umar said, ‘Were it not for Alī, Umar would have perished.’”

The response is that Umar is not known to have said this except in a single case—if that report is authentic—and Umar would say similar things to people of lower standing than Alī.

He said to the woman who challenged him concerning the dower, “A man was wrong, and a woman was right.” He had held that the dower should have a limit prescribed by the Shariah, so that it could not exceed the dowers of the wives and daughters of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—just as many jurists held that its minimum should be fixed at the minimum value that incurs the prescribed penalty for theft. If its limit was prescribed by the Shariah, and the husband had already paid the excess and received what he paid for in return (2), although the woman was not entitled to it, then the excess would be placed in the public treasury, just as the proceeds (3) from juice intended for making wine are placed in the public treasury when it is sold by a Muslim,