Quran 4:11 — Surah An-Nisaa Ayah 11 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ...

4:11

An-Nisaa

۞ وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَٰجُكُمْ إِن لَّ...

يُوصِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَوْلَٰدِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۚ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَآءًۭ فَوْقَ ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ ۖ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَلَهَا ٱلنِّصْفُ ۚ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ وَوَرِثَهُۥٓ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلثُّلُثُ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُۥٓ إِخْوَةٌۭ فَلِأُمِّهِ ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصِى بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۗ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًۭا ۚ فَرِيضَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا

Yooseekumul laahu feee awlaadikum liz zakari mislu hazzil unsayayn; fa in kunna nisaaa'an fawqas nataini falahunna suhusaa maa taraka wa in kaanat waahidatan falahan nisf; wa li abawaihi likulli waahidim minhumas sudusu mimmma taraka in kaana lahoo walad; fa il lam yakul lahowaladunw wa warisahooo abawaahu fali ummihis sulus; fa in kaana lahoo ikhwatun fali ummihis sudus; mim ba'di wasiyyatiny yoosee bihaaa aw dayn; aabaaa'ukum wa abnaaa'ukum laa tadroona aiyuhum aqrabu lakum naf'aa; fareedatam minallaah; innal laaha kaana 'Aleeman Hakeemaa

Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. And if there is only one, for her is half. And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children. But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [or sisters], for his mother is a sixth, after any bequest he [may have] made or debt. Your parents or your children - you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit. [These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 4:11→

God charges you He commands you concerning the matter of your children with what He will mention to the male of them the equivalent of the portion the lot of two females if there are two women with him so that half the property is his and the other half is theirs; if there is only one female with him then she has a third and he receives two thirds; if he is the only one he takes it all; and if they the offspring be only women more than two then for them two-thirds of what he the deceased leaves; likewise if they be two women since in the case of two sisters more deserving of such a share God says They shall receive two-thirds of what he leaves Q. 4176; and since a female is entitled to a third with a male she is all the more deserving of the same share with a female. It is said that fawq ‘more than’ introduces a relative clause; it is also said to guard against the wrong impression that the greater the number of females the greater the portion they are entitled to since it is mistakenly thought that the entitlement of two females to two-thirds derives from the fact that a female is entitled to one third when with a male; but if she the daughter be one wāhidatan is also read wāhidatun making the kāna construction syntactically complete then to her a half; and to his parents the deceased’s to each one of the two li-kulli wāhidin minhumā substitutes for the previous li-abawayhi ‘to his parents’ the sixth of what he leaves if he has a child male or female the point of the substitution is to show that they do not share the sixth but receive one each. The term ‘child’ walad also applies to a grandchild and likewise ‘parent’ abb to a grandparent; but if he has no child and his heirs are his parents alone or along with a spouse then to his mother read li-ummihi; also read in both places here and further down li-immihi in order to avoid the cumbersome transition from a damma ‘u’ to a kasra ‘I’ a third of the property or what remains after the spouse the rest being for the father; or if he has siblings two or more males or females to his mother a sixth and the rest for the father and nothing for the siblings.

(In the Pre-Islamic Period ) the children used to inherit all the property but the parents used to inherit only through a will. So Allah cancelled that which He liked to cancel and put decreed that the share of a son was to be twice the share of a daughter, and for the parents one-sixth for each one of them, or one third, and for the wife one-eighth or one-fourth, and for the husband one-half, or one-fourth.

Sahih al-Bukhari #6494Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Sahih

(During the early days of Islam), the inheritance used to be given to one's offspring and legacy used to be bequeathed to the parents, then Allah cancelled what He wished from that order and decreed that the male should be given the equivalent of the portion of two females, and for the parents one-sixth for each of them, and for one's wife one-eighth (if the deceased has children) and one-fourth (if he has no children), for one's husband one-half (if the deceased has no children) and one-fourth (if she has children).

Sahih al-Bukhari #2635Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Sahih

The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased would be inherited by his offspring; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit by the will of the deceased. Then Allah cancelled from that custom whatever He wished and fixed for the male double the amount inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole legacy) and for the wife an eighth or a fourth and for the husband a half or a fourth.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2161Al-Harith narrated that 'Ali said:Sahih

"You recite this ayah: After payment of legacies he(or she) may have bequeathed or debts, without causing harm. And indeed the Messenger of Allah(S.A.W) judged the debt before the will and that the children (sons and daughters)from the same mother and father inherit,not the sons from various mothers. The man inherits from his brother from his father, and his mother, not his brother from his father. Another chain reports a similar narration.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2163Jabir bin 'Abdullah said:Sahih

"The Messenger of Allah(S.A.W) came to visit me while I was ill at Banu Salamah. I said : 'O Prophet of Allah(S.A.W)! How shall I divide my wealth among my children?' But he did not say anything to me, until the following was revealed: Allah commands you regarding your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females."