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An-Nisa 12

Ayah 12 of 176 · Medinan

۞ وَلَكُمۡ نِصۡفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزۡوَٰجُكُمۡ إِن لَّمۡ يَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدٞۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٞ فَلَكُمُ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡنَۚ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِيَّةٖ يُوصِينَ بِهَآ أَوۡ دَيۡنٖۚ وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡتُمۡ إِن لَّمۡ يَكُن لَّكُمۡ وَلَدٞۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ وَلَدٞ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡتُمۚ مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِيَّةٖ تُوصُونَ بِهَآ أَوۡ دَيۡنٖۗ وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٞ يُورَثُ كَلَٰلَةً أَوِ ٱمۡرَأَةٞ وَلَهُۥٓ أَخٌ أَوۡ أُخۡتٞ فَلِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٖ مِّنۡهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُۚ فَإِن كَانُوٓاْ أَكۡثَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فِي ٱلثُّلُثِۚ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِيَّةٖ يُوصَىٰ بِهَآ أَوۡ دَيۡنٍ غَيۡرَ مُضَآرّٖۚ وَصِيَّةٗ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٞ ١٢

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 them [i.e., 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,1 after any bequest which was made or debt, as long as there is no detriment [caused].2 [This is] an ordinance from Allāh, and Allāh is Knowing and Forbearing.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 These shares are divided equally between males and females. The siblings referred to in this verse are from the mother's side only. Those from the father or both parents are mentioned in Āyah 176.

2 This is a condition for any bequest. If it has been violated by the deceased, his bequest is not to be honored, or it may be adjusted by the executor. See 2:182.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ۞ وَلَكُمۡAnd for youwalakum
  2. نِصۡفُ(is) halfniṣ'fu
  3. مَا(of) whatmā
  4. تَرَكَ(is) lefttaraka
  5. أَزۡوَٰجُكُمۡby your wivesazwājukum
  6. إِنifin
  7. لَّمۡnotlam
  8. يَكُنisyakun
  9. لَّهُنَّfor themlahunna
  10. وَلَدٞۚa childwaladun
  11. فَإِنBut iffa-in
  12. كَانَiskāna
  13. لَهُنَّfor themlahunna
  14. وَلَدٞa childwaladun
  15. فَلَكُمُthen for youfalakumu
  16. ٱلرُّبُعُ(is) the fourthl-rubuʿu
  17. مِمَّاof whatmimmā
  18. تَرَكۡنَۚthey lefttarakna
  19. مِنۢfrommin
  20. بَعۡدِafterbaʿdi
  21. وَصِيَّةٖany willwaṣiyyatin
  22. يُوصِينَthey have madeyūṣīna
  23. بِهَآ[for which]bihā
  24. أَوۡoraw
  25. دَيۡنٖۚany debtdaynin
  26. وَلَهُنَّAnd for themwalahunna
  27. ٱلرُّبُعُ(is) the fourthl-rubuʿu
  28. مِمَّاof whatmimmā
  29. تَرَكۡتُمۡyou lefttaraktum
  30. إِنifin
  31. لَّمۡnotlam
  32. يَكُنisyakun
  33. لَّكُمۡfor youlakum
  34. وَلَدٞۚa childwaladun
  35. فَإِنBut iffa-in
  36. كَانَiskāna
  37. لَكُمۡfor youlakum
  38. وَلَدٞa childwaladun
  39. فَلَهُنَّthen for themfalahunna
  40. ٱلثُّمُنُ(is) the eighthl-thumunu
  41. مِمَّاof whatmimmā
  42. تَرَكۡتُمۚyou lefttaraktum
  43. مِّنۢfrommin
  44. بَعۡدِafterbaʿdi
  45. وَصِيَّةٖany willwaṣiyyatin
  46. تُوصُونَyou have madetūṣūna
  47. بِهَآ[for which]bihā
  48. أَوۡoraw
  49. دَيۡنٖۗany debtdaynin
  50. وَإِنAnd ifwa-in
  51. كَانَ[is]kāna
  52. رَجُلٞa manrajulun
  53. يُورَثُ(whose wealth) is to be inheritedyūrathu
  54. كَلَٰلَةً(has) no parent or childkalālatan
  55. أَوِorawi
  56. ٱمۡرَأَةٞa womenim'ra-atun
  57. وَلَهُۥٓand for himwalahu
  58. أَخٌ(is) a brotherakhun
  59. أَوۡoraw
  60. أُخۡتٞa sisterukh'tun
  61. فَلِكُلِّthen for eachfalikulli
  62. وَٰحِدٖonewāḥidin
  63. مِّنۡهُمَاof (the) twomin'humā
  64. ٱلسُّدُسُۚ(is) the sixthl-sudusu
  65. فَإِنBut iffa-in
  66. كَانُوٓاْthey arekānū
  67. أَكۡثَرَmoreakthara
  68. مِنthanmin
  69. ذَٰلِكَthatdhālika
  70. فَهُمۡthen theyfahum
  71. شُرَكَآءُ(are) partnersshurakāu
  72. فِيinfī
  73. ٱلثُّلُثِۚthe thirdl-thuluthi
  74. مِنۢfrommin
  75. بَعۡدِafterbaʿdi
  76. وَصِيَّةٖany willwaṣiyyatin
  77. يُوصَىٰwas madeyūṣā
  78. بِهَآ[for which]bihā
  79. أَوۡoraw
  80. دَيۡنٍany debtdaynin
  81. غَيۡرَwithoutghayra
  82. مُضَآرّٖۚ(being) harmfulmuḍārrin
  83. وَصِيَّةٗAn ordinancewaṣiyyatan
  84. مِّنَfrommina
  85. ٱللَّهِۗAllahl-lahi
  86. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allahwal-lahu
  87. عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knowingʿalīmun
  88. حَلِيمٞAll-Forbearingḥalīmun

Tafsir

You have half of what your wives leave, if they have no child. If they have a child, whether it is your child or not, then you get a fourth of the wealth they leave, after any bequest they have made and the repayment of any debts they had. Wives get a quarter of what you leave, if you have no child, whether it is their child or not. If you have a child, then they get an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you have made and the repayment of any debts you had. If someone dies without any parents or children to inherit from them, but they have a brother or sister from the same mother as them, then each of them gets a sixth. If they have more than one brother or sister from the same mother as them, then they share a third, with brothers and sisters receiving the same share – this is after any bequest that they leave and the repayment of any debts they had, with the condition that the bequest does not cause harm to any of the inheritors, such as it being more than a third of the total of the wealth. The rulings contained in the verses about inheritance law are an obligation on you, and Allah knows what is in the interests of His servants in this world and the Afterlife. He is forbearing, and not quick to punish.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran