Divide an estate among heirs under Sunni fara'id rules, including awl, radd and exclusion of heirs.
Enter the values to see the result here.
Disclaimer: this tool is an aid, not a ruling. Confirm the final division with a qualified scholar or the competent court. Wills, debts and bars to inheritance are not modelled and can change the outcome.
Formula
The calculation follows three steps from the classical rules.
Exclude blocked heirs: a father blocks a grandfather and siblings; a son blocks his own children and all siblings; a mother blocks both grandmothers; a descendant or father blocks maternal siblings.
Give each remaining heir a fixed portion (for example husband 1/4 with a child, 1/2 without; mother 1/6 with a child or two siblings, 1/3 otherwise; one daughter 1/2, two or more 2/3).
Give the remainder to the nearest male residuary (a son, then a son’s son, a father, a grandfather, full brothers, and so on). With sons and daughters, shares follow 2 : 1.
If the fixed portions sum to S>1 (‘awl), each is divided by S. If S<1 and there is no residuary, the remainder is returned (radd) so that
A woman dies leaving a husband, her mother and one daughter, with a net estate of 120,000.
Husband: 1/4 (there is a child). Mother: 1/6. Daughter: 1/2.
Sum: 1/4+1/6+1/2=11/12, so 1/12 remains with no residuary heir.
Radd: factor =(1−1/4)/(1/6+1/2)=9/8. Mother becomes 3/16 and daughter 9/16.
Amounts: husband 30,000, mother 22,500, daughter 67,500, a total of 120,000.
Common mistakes
Entering the gross estate. Debts, funeral costs and the will must come off first.
Ticking a grandfather alongside siblings and expecting a single answer. The schools disagree.
Counting a deceased son’s children while the son is alive. The living son blocks them.
Treating a will for an heir as valid. A bequest to an heir needs the other heirs’ consent.
Using this as a legal document. Always confirm with a scholar or court.
Frequently asked questions
What is 'awl?
When the fixed shares add up to more than the whole estate, for example a husband (1/2) and two full sisters (2/3) give 7/6, every share is reduced in the same proportion. Their shares become 3/7 and 4/7. This was settled by the Companions during the caliphate of Umar.
What is radd?
When the fixed shares add up to less than the estate and there is no residuary heir (asaba), the surplus is returned to the fixed-share heirs in proportion to their shares. In most schools a husband or wife is left out of the return.
Why does a son get twice a daughter's share?
Qur'an 4:11 gives a male the equivalent of the share of two females. Alongside sons, daughters stop being fixed-share heirs and become residuary heirs sharing in the 2 to 1 ratio.
Which heirs are not covered?
Distant relatives (dhawu al-arham), nephews and uncles, a grandfather inheriting with siblings, and the disputed Himariyya, Mushtaraka and Akdariyya cases. For these the schools differ, so the tool stops or notes it rather than guessing.
Do debts and wills come off first?
Yes. Funeral costs, debts and a will of up to one third (for non-heirs) are settled before the shares are divided. Enter the net estate after them.