This calculator divides an estate according to the Islamic law of inheritance (faraid, or mirath). Enter the estate, optional debts, funeral costs and bequest, and how many of each heir are alive. It applies the Quranic fixed shares, the residuary (asaba) rules, blocking (hajb), the two 'Umariyyatan cases, proportional reduction ('awl) and return (radd), following the Hanbali school used in Saudi courts.
Debts, funeral costs and any bequest (up to one third, not to an heir) come off first. Fixed-share heirs then receive the shares set in Quran 4:11, 4:12 and 4:176 (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 2/3, 1/3, 1/6), and the residuary heirs take what is left, a male taking twice a female of the same class. If the shares exceed the estate they are reduced in proportion ('awl); if there is a surplus and no residuary, it returns to the non-spouse heirs (radd).
Enter your numbers and press Calculate.
Important: for information only. This is a learning aid, not a legal ruling or fatwa. The final division of any estate must be confirmed by a Sharia court (in Saudi Arabia, through the Ministry of Justice and the Najiz platform) or by a qualified scholar. Situations such as missing persons, unborn heirs, simultaneous deaths, debts in dispute or wills are not covered.
How to use the Islamic Inheritance calculator
- Enter the total estate. Optionally enter debts, funeral costs and a bequest; the bequest is capped at one third of what remains after debts.
- Tick the spouse and parents or grandparents who are alive at the time of death.
- Enter how many children, grandchildren through sons and siblings are alive.
- Press Calculate. The table shows each heir's fraction, percentage and amount, and lists heirs who are blocked.
The formula
The calculator works with exact fractions. Spouses and parents receive fixed shares that depend on whether the deceased left children; daughters and sisters receive fixed shares unless a brother of the same class turns them into residuaries; and the nearest male agnate takes whatever is left. With a spouse and both parents only (al-'Umariyyatan), the mother receives one third of what remains after the spouse. The grandfather together with brothers or sisters (muqasama) is not calculated, because the methods differ; the calculator asks you to consult a scholar instead.
Worked example
A man leaves a wife, his mother, his father and a son, and a net estate of 240,000. Wife 1/8 = 30,000; mother 1/6 = 40,000; father 1/6 = 40,000 (there is a son). The son takes the residue: 1 − 1/8 − 1/6 − 1/6 = 13/24 = 130,000.
A woman leaves her husband, her mother and two daughters: 1/4 + 1/6 + 2/3 = 13/12, so 'awl applies and the shares become husband 3/13, mother 2/13 and daughters 8/13 (4/13 each).
FAQ
Which school of law does this follow?
It follows the Hanbali school, which Saudi courts apply. Where the four Sunni schools agree, the results are the same. Points where Hanbalis differ, such as a paternal grandmother inheriting alongside the father, are noted in the result.
Why is the grandfather with brothers not calculated?
When a paternal grandfather inherits alongside full or paternal brothers or sisters, the schools use different methods (muqasama, one third of the residue, or one sixth, and the special Akdariyya case). Rather than guess, the calculator asks you to consult a scholar.
Can I leave a bequest to an heir?
According to the hadith “no bequest to an heir”, a bequest to an heir is not valid without the other heirs' consent, and a bequest above one third needs their consent too.
Where do I get an official division in Saudi Arabia?
Through the Ministry of Justice: an inheritance deed (sak hasr al-wartha) and estate division are handled via the Najiz platform and the courts.
Sources
Follow WorldScope on X for live updates: @worldscope_now
More free tools: see all WorldScope calculators
Comments