How this inheritance calculator works
This tool follows the Sunni Hanafi method of mirath, the school followed across South Asia, Turkey and Central Asia. Other schools differ in some shares. It works in this order: pay the funeral costs, pay debts (including unpaid mehr), give a bequest of at most one third of what remains, then divide the rest among the heirs.
Heirs fall into two kinds. Fixed-share heirs (fard) get a set fraction: for example a husband takes 1/2, or 1/4 if there are children; a wife takes 1/4, or 1/8 with children; a mother takes 1/6 with children and 1/3 without; one daughter takes 1/2 and two or more share 2/3. Residuary heirs (asaba), such as sons, take whatever is left, and a son gets double a daughter.
Blocking, awl and radd
- Blocking (hajb): a nearer heir can shut out a farther one, for example a son blocks brothers and sisters, and a father blocks the grandfather.
- Awl: if the fixed shares add up to more than one, each share is reduced in proportion. Example: a husband and two full sisters make 1/2 + 2/3 = 7/6, so they get 3/7 and 4/7.
- Radd: if shares add up to less than one and there is no residuary heir, the extra goes back to the blood relatives, but not to the husband or wife.
All fractions are calculated with exact whole numbers, so there is no rounding error until the money amounts at the end. Your family may need a result this tool cannot give, such as cases with distant relatives or grandchildren of an earlier-deceased child, so please keep the list of unsupported cases in mind and ask a scholar. If you also want to work out your own Zakat, try the Zakat calculator, and use the Hijri date converter for Islamic dates.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets what in Islamic inheritance?
First the funeral costs and debts are paid, then a bequest (wasiyyat) of up to one third of what is left. The rest is divided among heirs: fixed shares (fard) go to people such as the spouse, parents and daughters, and whatever remains goes to the male-line relatives (asaba), such as sons, who get double a daughter's share.
What are awl and radd?
Awl happens when the fixed shares add up to more than the whole estate, so every share is reduced in the same proportion. Radd happens when there is something left over and no male-line relative to take it, so it is returned to the blood relatives in proportion to their shares. In the Hanafi school the husband or wife does not receive radd.
Can I leave a will for more than one third?
A bequest to someone who is not an heir is valid only up to one third of the estate after funeral costs and debts. More than that needs the agreement of all the adult heirs. A bequest to a person who is already an heir also needs the other heirs' agreement. This tool caps the bequest at one third and tells you when it did.
Do the grandchildren of a son who died earlier inherit?
Under classical Hanafi law they do only if there is no son to block them. Some countries' laws (for example Pakistan's Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961, section 4) also let the children of a son or daughter who died before the deceased take that parent's share. This tool does not apply that rule, so ask a lawyer if it affects your family.
Does this calculator work for Shia families?
No. Shia (Jafari) law is different: it has no asaba and no awl, and it groups heirs in classes. For example, a lone daughter excludes the deceased's brothers and sisters, while under Hanafi law a sister can still take the residue. Shia families should ask a Jafari scholar.