Surah 4. An-Nisa

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-14 [2], 15-22 [3], 23-25 [4], 26-33 [5], 34-42 [6], 43-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-87 [11], 88-91 [12], 92-96 [13], 97-100 [14], 101-104 [15], 105-112 [16], 113-115 [17], 116-126 [18], 127-134 [19], 135-141 [20], 142-152 [21], 153-162 [22], 163-171 [23], 172-176 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-14یُوْصِیْكُمُInstructs youاللّٰهُAllahفِیْۤconcerningاَوْلَادِكُمْ ۗyour childrenلِلذَّكَرِfor the maleمِثْلُlikeحَظِّ(the) portionالْاُنْثَیَیْنِ ۚ(of) two femalesفَاِنْBut ifكُنَّthere areنِسَآءً(only) womenفَوْقَmore (than)اثْنَتَیْنِtwoفَلَهُنَّthen for themثُلُثَاtwo thirdsمَا(of) whatتَرَكَ ۚhe leftوَ اِنْAnd ifكَانَتْ(there) isوَاحِدَةً(only) oneفَلَهَاthen for herالنِّصْفُ ؕ(is) halfوَ لِاَبَوَیْهِAnd for his parentsلِكُلِّfor eachوَاحِدٍoneمِّنْهُمَاof themالسُّدُسُa sixthمِمَّاof whatتَرَكَ(is) leftاِنْifكَانَisلَهٗfor himوَلَدٌ ۚa childفَاِنْBut ifلَّمْnotیَكُنْisلَّهٗfor himوَلَدٌany childوَّ وَرِثَهٗۤand inherit[ed] himاَبَوٰهُhis parentsفَلِاُمِّهِthen for his motherالثُّلُثُ ۚ(is) one thirdفَاِنْAnd ifكَانَareلَهٗۤfor himاِخْوَةٌbrothers and sistersفَلِاُمِّهِthen for his motherالسُّدُسُ(is) the sixthمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterوَصِیَّةٍany willیُّوْصِیْhe has madeبِهَاۤ[of which]اَوْorدَیْنٍ ؕany debtاٰبَآؤُكُمْYour parentsوَ اَبْنَآؤُكُمْand your childrenلَاnotتَدْرُوْنَyou knowاَیُّهُمْwhich of themاَقْرَبُ(is) nearerلَكُمْto youنَفْعًا ؕ(in) benefitفَرِیْضَةًAn obligationمِّنَfromاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisعَلِیْمًاAll-Knowingحَكِیْمًا All-Wise 4. An-Nisa Page 79وَ لَكُمْAnd for youنِصْفُ(is) halfمَا(of) whatتَرَكَ(is) leftاَزْوَاجُكُمْby your wivesاِنْifلَّمْnotیَكُنْisلَّهُنَّfor themوَلَدٌ ۚa childفَاِنْBut ifكَانَisلَهُنَّfor themوَلَدٌa childفَلَكُمُthen for youالرُّبُعُ(is) the fourthمِمَّاof whatتَرَكْنَthey leftمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterوَصِیَّةٍany willیُّوْصِیْنَthey have madeبِهَاۤ[for which]اَوْorدَیْنٍ ؕany debtوَ لَهُنَّAnd for themالرُّبُعُ(is) the fourthمِمَّاof whatتَرَكْتُمْyou leftاِنْifلَّمْnotیَكُنْisلَّكُمْfor youوَلَدٌ ۚa childفَاِنْBut ifكَانَisلَكُمْfor youوَلَدٌa childفَلَهُنَّthen for themالثُّمُنُ(is) the eighthمِمَّاof whatتَرَكْتُمْyou leftمِّنْۢfromبَعْدِafterوَصِیَّةٍany willتُوْصُوْنَyou have madeبِهَاۤ[for which]اَوْorدَیْنٍ ؕany debtوَ اِنْAnd ifكَانَ[is]رَجُلٌa manیُّوْرَثُ(whose wealth) is to be inheritedكَلٰلَةً(has) no parent or childاَوِorامْرَاَةٌa womenوَّ لَهٗۤand for himاَخٌ(is) a brotherاَوْorاُخْتٌa sisterفَلِكُلِّthen for eachوَاحِدٍoneمِّنْهُمَاof (the) twoالسُّدُسُ ۚ(is) the sixthفَاِنْBut ifكَانُوْۤاthey areاَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanذٰلِكَthatفَهُمْthen theyشُرَكَآءُ(are) partnersفِیinالثُّلُثِthe thirdمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterوَصِیَّةٍany willیُّوْصٰیwas madeبِهَاۤ[for which]اَوْorدَیْنٍ ۙany debtغَیْرَwithoutمُضَآرٍّ ۚ(being) harmfulوَصِیَّةًAn ordinanceمِّنَfromاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَلِیْمٌ(is) All-KnowingحَلِیْمٌؕAll-Forbearing تِلْكَTheseحُدُوْدُ(are the) limitsاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) Allahوَ مَنْand whoeverیُّطِعِobeysاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗand His MessengerیُدْخِلْهُHe will admit himجَنّٰتٍ(to) Gardensتَجْرِیْflowsمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath themالْاَنْهٰرُthe riversخٰلِدِیْنَ(will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ؕin itوَ ذٰلِكَAnd thatالْفَوْزُ(is) the successالْعَظِیْمُ [the] great وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّعْصِdisobeysاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗand His Messengerوَ یَتَعَدَّand transgressesحُدُوْدَهٗHis limitsیُدْخِلْهُHe will admit himنَارًا(to) Fireخَالِدًا(will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ۪in itوَ لَهٗAnd for himعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentمُّهِیْنٌ۠humiliating

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Translation of Verse 11-14

11. Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. ¹⁷⁵ If you leave only two ˹or more˺ females, their share is two-thirds of the estate. But if there is only one female, her share will be one-half. Each parent is entitled to one-sixth if you leave offspring. ¹⁷⁶ But if you are childless and your parents are the only heirs, then your mother will receive one-third. ¹⁷⁷ But if you leave siblings, then your mother will receive one-sixth ¹⁷⁸ -after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. ¹⁷⁹ ˹Be fair to˺ your parents and children, as you do not ˹fully˺ know who is more beneficial to you. ¹⁸⁰ ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

12. You will inherit half of what your wives leave if they are childless. But if they have children, then ˹your share is˺ one-fourth of the estate -after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And your wives will inherit one-fourth of what you leave if you are childless. But if you have children, then your wives will receive one-eighth of your estate -after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And if a man or a woman leaves neither parents nor children but only a brother or a sister ˹from their mother's side˺, they will each inherit one-sixth, but if they are more than one, they ˹all˺ will share one-third of the estate ¹⁸¹ -after the fulfilment of bequests and debts without harm ˹to the heirs˺. ¹⁸² ˹This is˺ a commandment from Allah. And Allah is All- Knowing, Most Forbearing.

13. These ˹entitlements˺ are the limits set by Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted into Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever. That is the ultimate triumph!

14. But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and exceeds their limits will be cast into Hell, to stay there forever. And they will suffer a humiliating punishment.

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Commentary

175. According to Islamic law of inheritance, a female-whether she is a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, etc.-gets one of three shares, depending on her closeness to the deceased:

176. "Offspring" here means any number of children-male or female.

177. And the father will take the rest of the estate.

178. Although the existence of siblings reduces the mother's share from one-third to one-sixth, siblings themselves do not receive a share of inheritance and the rest of the estate goes to the father.

179. Debts as well as any other financial obligations (such as funeral expenses, unfulfilled vows, or unpaid dowry) have to be repaid before the fulfilment of bequests, then the estate can be distributed among the heirs. A person can bequest up to one-third of their estate for charities as well as individuals who are not entitled to a share in inheritance.

180. You do not know who will benefit you by looking after you during your life or doing good deeds on your behalf after your death.

181. If there are two or more brothers and sisters from the mother's side, they share one-third equally-the female will receive the same share of the male.

182. Harming the heirs includes giving away more than one-third of the estate as a bequest.