Islamic inheritance (faraid) calculator
Islamic inheritance (faraid) gives fixed shares to close family: a wife gets an eighth when there are children, a husband a quarter, and sons take twice a daughter’s share of the remainder. Enter the estate and the surviving relatives to see each share.
You’ll need the net estate after debts and funeral costs, any bequest up to a third, and which relatives survived the person who died.
Your result
Enter the estate and at least one relative.
Majority Sunni rules. Your inputs stay in this browser.
Figures checked 25 October 2026 Reviewed by [Islamic inheritance scholar] Sources
The fixed shares
| Heir | Share |
|---|---|
| Husband | 1/2, or 1/4 if there are children |
| Wife (shared between wives) | 1/4, or 1/8 if there are children |
| Mother | 1/6 if there are children or two or more siblings, otherwise 1/3 |
| Father | 1/6 if there is a son; 1/6 plus the remainder if only daughters; the remainder if no children |
| Daughters (no sons) | 1/2 for one, 2/3 shared for two or more |
| Sons and daughters | The remainder, a son taking twice a daughter’s share |
| Full brothers and sisters | Only if there is no son or father. Sisters alone take 1/2 or 2/3; with brothers they share the remainder 2 to 1 |
When the only heirs are a spouse and both parents, the mother takes a third of what is left after the spouse’s share, not a third of the whole estate. These are known as the two ‘Umariyyah cases.
Worked example
A man dies leaving a net estate of £240,000, a wife, one son and one daughter, and no bequest. The wife takes 1/8, which is £30,000. The remaining 7/8 goes to the children with the son taking twice the daughter’s share: the son gets 7/12 of the estate (£140,000) and the daughter 7/24 (£70,000).
Making it work under UK law
Write a will that sets out the Islamic shares, ideally drafted by a solicitor who knows both systems. Think about inheritance tax: only the share that goes to a spouse is exempt, so an Islamic will can create a tax bill that a will leaving everything to the spouse would not. In Scotland, legal rights still let a spouse and children claim part of the moveable estate. See the Scottish legal rights calculator.
Questions people ask
Does UK law follow Islamic inheritance rules?
No. If a Muslim dies without a will in England or Wales, the statutory intestacy rules apply and the estate is not divided by faraid. To have the estate shared by Islamic rules you need a valid will written to follow them. In Scotland, a spouse and children can still claim legal rights from the moveable estate whatever the will says.
How much can I leave outside the fixed shares?
Under Islamic rules you can leave up to one third of the net estate as a bequest (wasiyyah) to people who are not fixed heirs, or to charity. The fixed shares are then worked out on the rest. The calculator takes off the bequest before dividing.
Why does a son get twice a daughter’s share?
Where sons and daughters inherit together as residuary heirs, the Qur’an (4:11) gives a male twice the share of a female. The same ratio applies between full brothers and sisters inheriting together.
What are ‘awl and radd?
‘Awl is used when the fixed shares add up to more than the whole estate: every share is reduced in proportion. Radd is used when the fixed shares add up to less than the whole and there is no residuary heir: the surplus goes back to the fixed-share heirs other than the spouse, in proportion.
Which heirs does this calculator cover?
Husband or wives, sons, daughters, father, mother, full brothers and full sisters, following the majority Sunni position. It does not cover grandchildren, grandparents, half siblings or more distant relatives, or Shia rules. Ask a qualified scholar to confirm the shares for your family before a will is signed.
Sources
This calculator gives general information, not legal or financial advice. A court, tribunal, the Home Office or the scheme administrator makes the actual decision. Read the disclaimer, and for advice on your own situation speak to a regulated adviser, a solicitor or Citizens Advice.