Surah 4. An-Nisaa, Ayah 176
| يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِي الْكَلَالَةِ ۚ إِنِ امْرُؤٌ هَلَكَ لَيْسَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَهُ أُخْتٌ فَلَهَا نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ ۚ وَهُوَ يَرِثُهَا إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِنْ كَانَتَا اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُمَا الثُّلُثَانِ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ۚ وَإِنْ كَانُوا إِخْوَةً رِجَالًا وَنِسَاءً فَلِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ ۗ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَضِلُّوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ |
| Transliteration | : | yastafton -ka qul 'allaah yufte -kum fe al- kalaalah 'in imru' halaka laysa la- -hu walad wa- la- -hu 'ukht fa- la- -haa nis.f maa taraka wa- huwa yarith -haa 'in lam yakun la- -haa walad fa- 'in kaanataa ithnatain fa- la- -humaa ath- thuluthaan min maa taraka wa- 'in kaano 'ikhwah rijaal(an) wa- nisaa' fa- li- adh- dhakar mithl h.az.z. al- 'unthayain yubayyin 'allaah la- -kum 'an tad.illo wa- 'allaah bi- kull shay' calem |
| Pickthall | : | As for those who believe in Allah, and hold fast unto Him, them He will cause to enter into His mercy and grace, and will guide them unto Him by a straight road. |
| Asad | : | THEY WILL ASK thee to enlighten them.183 Say: "God enlightens you [thus] about the laws concerning [inheritance from] those who leave no heir in the direct line: If a man dies childless and has a sister, she shall inherit one-half of what he has left, just as he shall inherit from her if she dies childless. But if there are two sisters, both [together] shall have two-thirds of what he has left; and if there are brothers and sisters,184 then the male shall have the equal of two females' share." God makes [all this] clear unto you, lest you go astray; and God knows everything. |
| Malik | : | They ask you for a legal decision relating to inheritance in the case of a childless person. Say: Allah gives you His decision about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If a man dies childless and leaves behind a sister, she shall inherit one-half of his estate. If a woman dies childless, her brother will inherit all of her estate. If the childless person leaves behind two sisters, they both shall inherit two-third of his estate; but if he leaves more than two brothers and sisters, the share of each male shall be equal to that of two females. Thus Allah makes His commandments clear to you lest you go astray. Allah has perfect knowledge of everything. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies leaving a sister but no child she shall have half the inheritance: if (such a deceased was) a woman who left no child her brother takes her inheritance: if there are two sisters they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance (between them): if there are brothers and sisters (they share) the male having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His law) lest ye err. And Allah hath knowledge of all things. 681 |
Note - 183I.e., about the laws of inheritance mentioned in the next
sentence. Regarding the meaning of istifta' ("a request
for enlightenment about a [particular] law"), see note
[145] of this surah. The seemingly abrupt transition from
the preceding passages - dealing with questions of
theology - to this one is in accord with the Qur'anic
principle of deliberately interweaving moral exhortation
with practical legislation: and this in pursuance of the
teaching that man's life - spiritual and physical,
individual and social - is one integral whole, and
therefore requires simultaneous consideration of all its
aspects if the concept of "the good life" is to be
realized. The above verse completes the series of
inheritance laws dealt with early in this surah.
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Note - 184Lit., "brethren (ikhwah), men and women". It is to be
noted that the expression ikhwah comprises either
brothers, or sisters, or brothers and sisters.
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Note - 681This verse supplements the rule of inheritance of the
estate of a deceased person who has left as heir neither
a descendant nor an ascendant. We shall call such a
person A, who may be either a male or a female. In iv. 12
(second half), A's case was considered where he had left
uterine brothers or sisters. Here A's case is considered
where he has left brothers and or sisters by the father's
side, whether the mother was the same or not. "Brothers"
and "sisters" in this verse must be construed to be such
brothers and sisters. For the sake of clearness, I have
expanded the terse language of the original in the
translation. Let me explain it more concretely in this
note. A, and "brother" and "sister" being strictly
defined as above, we proceed to consider how A's
inheritance would be divided. If A left a widow or
widower, the widow's or widower's share would first be
calculated as in the first half of iv. 12; if A left no
spouse, this calculation would not be necessary. Then if
A left a single "sister," she would have a half share,
the remaining half (in so for as it, or a part of it,
does not fall to a spouse, if any) going to remoter
heirs: if a single "brother," he would have the whole
(subject to the spouse's right if there is a spouse); if
more than one "brother," they divide the whole (subject
to etc.). If A left two or more "sisters," they get
between them two-thirds, subject to the spouse's right,
if any. If A left a "brother" and "sister," or "brothers"
and "sisters," they divide on the basis that each
"brother's" share is twice that of the "sister" (subject
to, etc.). In all cases debts, funeral expenses, and
legacies (to the amount allowed) have priority as in n.
522.
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I.e., about the laws of inheritance mentioned in the next sentence. Regarding the meaning of istifta' ("a request for enlightenment about a [particular] law"), see note [145] of this surah. The seemingly abrupt transition from the preceding passages - dealing with questions of theology - to this one is in accord with the Qur'anic principle of deliberately interweaving moral exhortation with practical legislation: and this in pursuance of the teaching that man's life - spiritual and physical, individual and social - is one integral whole, and therefore requires simultaneous consideration of all its aspects if the concept of "the good life" is to be realized. The above verse completes the series of inheritance laws dealt with early in this surah. |
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This verse supplements the rule of inheritance of the estate of a deceased person who has left as heir neither a descendant nor an ascendant. We shall call such a person A, who may be either a male or a female. In iv. 12 (second half), A's case was considered where he had left uterine brothers or sisters. Here A's case is considered where he has left brothers and or sisters by the father's side, whether the mother was the same or not. "Brothers" and "sisters" in this verse must be construed to be such brothers and sisters. For the sake of clearness, I have expanded the terse language of the original in the translation. Let me explain it more concretely in this note. A, and "brother" and "sister" being strictly defined as above, we proceed to consider how A's inheritance would be divided. If A left a widow or widower, the widow's or widower's share would first be calculated as in the first half of iv. 12; if A left no spouse, this calculation would not be necessary. Then if A left a single "sister," she would have a half share, the remaining half (in so for as it, or a part of it, does not fall to a spouse, if any) going to remoter heirs: if a single "brother," he would have the whole (subject to the spouse's right if there is a spouse); if more than one "brother," they divide the whole (subject to etc.). If A left two or more "sisters," they get between them two-thirds, subject to the spouse's right, if any. If A left a "brother" and "sister," or "brothers" and "sisters," they divide on the basis that each "brother's" share is twice that of the "sister" (subject to, etc.). In all cases debts, funeral expenses, and legacies (to the amount allowed) have priority as in n. 522. |
