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An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 12of 176

۞ وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَٰجُكُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌۭ فَلَكُمُ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصِينَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍۢ ۚ وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌۭ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُم ۚ مِّنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ تُوصُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍۢ ۗ وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌۭ يُورَثُ كَلَٰلَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌۭ وَلَهُۥٓ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌۭ فَلِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚ فَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَكْثَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فِى ٱلثُّلُثِ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍۢ يُوصَىٰ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَآرٍّۢ ۚ وَصِيَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌۭ﴿١٢

Translation (Sahih International)

And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you [may have] made or debt. And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth. But if they are more than two, they share a third, after any bequest which was made or debt, as long as there is no detriment [caused]. [This is] an ordinance from Allah, and Allah is Knowing and Forbearing.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ وَلَكُمْwalakumAnd for you
نِصْفُniṣ'fu(is) half
مَا(of) what
تَرَكَtaraka(is) left
أَزْوَٰجُكُمْazwājukumby your wives
إِنinif
لَّمْlamnot
يَكُنyakunis
لَّهُنَّlahunnafor them
وَلَدٌۭ ۚwaladuna child
فَإِنfa-inBut if
كَانَkānais
لَهُنَّlahunnafor them
وَلَدٌۭwaladuna child
فَلَكُمُfalakumuthen for you
ٱلرُّبُعُl-rubuʿu(is) the fourth
مِمَّاmimmāof what
تَرَكْنَ ۚtaraknathey left
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatinany will
يُوصِينَyūṣīnathey have made
بِهَآbihā[for which]
أَوْawor
دَيْنٍۢ ۚdayninany debt
وَلَهُنَّwalahunnaAnd for them
ٱلرُّبُعُl-rubuʿu(is) the fourth
مِمَّاmimmāof what
تَرَكْتُمْtaraktumyou left
إِنinif
لَّمْlamnot
يَكُنyakunis
لَّكُمْlakumfor you
وَلَدٌۭ ۚwaladuna child
فَإِنfa-inBut if
كَانَkānais
لَكُمْlakumfor you
وَلَدٌۭwaladuna child
فَلَهُنَّfalahunnathen for them
ٱلثُّمُنُl-thumunu(is) the eighth
مِمَّاmimmāof what
تَرَكْتُم ۚtaraktumyou left
مِّنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatinany will
تُوصُونَtūṣūnayou have made
بِهَآbihā[for which]
أَوْawor
دَيْنٍۢ ۗdayninany debt
وَإِنwa-inAnd if
كَانَkāna[is]
رَجُلٌۭrajuluna man
يُورَثُyūrathu(whose wealth) is to be inherited
كَلَـٰلَةًkalālatan(has) no parent or child
أَوِawior
ٱمْرَأَةٌۭim'ra-atuna women
وَلَهُۥٓwalahuand for him
أَخٌakhun(is) a brother
أَوْawor
أُخْتٌۭukh'tuna sister
فَلِكُلِّfalikullithen for each
وَٰحِدٍۢwāḥidinone
مِّنْهُمَاmin'humāof (the) two
ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚl-sudusu(is) the sixth
فَإِنfa-inBut if
كَانُوٓا۟kānūthey are
أَكْثَرَaktharamore
مِنminthan
ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
فَهُمْfahumthen they
شُرَكَآءُshurakāu(are) partners
فِىin
ٱلثُّلُثِ ۚl-thuluthithe third
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatinany will
يُوصَىٰyūṣāwas made
بِهَآbihā[for which]
أَوْawor
دَيْنٍdayninany debt
غَيْرَghayrawithout
مُضَآرٍّۢ ۚmuḍārrin(being) harmful
وَصِيَّةًۭwaṣiyyatanAn ordinance
مِّنَminafrom
ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahiAllah
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
عَلِيمٌʿalīmun(is) All-Knowing
حَلِيمٌۭḥalīmunAll-Forbearing

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Share of the Spouses in the InheritanceAllah says to the husband, you get half of what your wife leaves behind if she dies and did not have a child. If she had a child, you get one-fourth of what she leaves behind, after payment of legacies that she may have bequeathed, or her debts. We mentioned before that payment of debts comes before fulfilling the will, and then comes the will, then the inheritance, and there is a consensus on this matter among the scholars.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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