Share of Two Sisters or More Heirs

Lesson # 591 From Holy Qur’aan

Share of Two Sisters or More Heirs

Surah Nisaaa’ (Women) – Chapter – 4)

Verse –176 of 176, Section – 24/24 (Part – 6)           

They ask thee for a pronouncement. Say! Allaah hath pronounced for you concerning distant kindred. If a man die childless and he have a sister, hers is half the heritage, and he would have inherited from her had she died childless. And if there be two sisters, then theirs are two-thirds of the heritage, and if they be brethren, men and women, unto the male is the equivalent of the share of two females. Allaah expoundeth unto you, so that ye err not. And Allaah is Knower of all things.

Yastaftuunak,  QuLIllaahu  yuf-tiikum  fil-Kalaalah.  ‘Inimru-‘un  halaka  lay-sa  lahuu  wa-ladunw-wa  lahuuu  ‘ukh-tun  falahaa  nisfu  maa  tarak.  Wa  huwa  yarisu-haaa  ‘illam  yakul-lahaa  walad.  Fa-‘in  kaanasna-tayni  fala-humas-sulusaani  mimmaa  tarak.  Wa  ‘in  kaanuuu  ‘ikh-watar-rijaa-lanw-wa  nisaaa-‘an  faliz-zakari  mislu  hazzil-‘un-sa-yayn.  Yubayyi-nUllaahu  lakum  ‘an- tazilluu.  Wallaahu  bi-kulli  shay-‘in  ’Aliim.

Lesson

Kalaalah – (infirm and feeble), here this verse signifies towards a person, who has only brothers and sisters, and does not have either father or children.

 Tazilluu – (you err), this word has been derived from the word zalaalat, which means ‘error’, but there is such a situation in this composition that the people, who know Arabic language, understand the word “no” or “not” with it. Therefore it means “Do not err” or “You err not”.

It has been replied in this verse about the question, “If any dead person had only own or step brothers and sisters, and had not either father or son, then what portion of hereditary would they get”? Brothers and sisters are of three types. Own brothers and sisters, those, who have same father and mother, are called ‘ainii. Step-brothers and sisters, who are brothers and sisters due to father only, are called ‘alaatii  and the Brothers or sisters by the same mother but by a different father are called ‘akhyaafii. For further detail about Kalaalah please review Lesson # 480 Verse 12a of this chapter.

Allaah Almighty expounds that if there is no heir of the dead person, other than brother and sister, then the hereditary will be given to them as explained:

1.  If the heir is only one sister, she will be given half from the entire hereditary of her dead brother’s wealth. That is to say; if the dead person does not have father or son, then portion from the hereditary of her brother for her is equal to a daughter.

2.  If the sister has died and the heir is only a brother, he will be given entire wealth of his sister.

3.  If the dead brother left two or more sisters living behind, they all will get two-thirds of the total hereditary.

4.  If the heirs are many mixed brothers and sisters, then entire wealth will be distributed in to them with the ratio that each male will be given double from each female.

Allaah Almighty pronounces these points so that you may be saved from error and be not confused at the time of distress.

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)