A concise outline of the laws of inheritance and the manner in which they are applied, distilled from the Noble Qur’an and from this noble ḥadith:

We shall begin where Allah began: with the fixed-share heirs whose entitlement and portion the Almighty explicitly established. Once their rights are known, we shall turn to those who receive whatever the fixed shares leave over—the ʿaṣabah (agnatic heirs).

The fixed shares set down in the Book of Allah are six:

1. one-half
2. one-quarter
3. one-eighth
4. two-thirds
5. one-third
6. one-sixth

Each share has its rightful claimant or claimants.

1. One-half. This portion belongs to the daughter, and to the son’s daughter no matter how far removed, by virtue of His words: “If there is only one daughter, she shall have one-half of the estate” (Q 4:11). A son’s daughter is included in the term “daughter.” This ruling is unanimously agreed upon, provided that there are no other children of the deceased.

The one-half share is also the husband’s prescribed portion, on condition that the wife has left no child, male or female, as the Exalted says: “And for you is one-half of what your wives leave behind if they have no child” (Q 4:12).