Question 1

What is the difference between a fixed share and a residuary?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-share heirs (ashab al-furud) — such as a spouse, parents and daughters — receive a set Quranic fraction like 1/2, 1/4 or 1/6. Residuaries (asaba) — typically sons and, in their absence, the father, grandfather or brothers — take whatever remains after the fixed shares. Sons and daughters together share the residue in a 2:1 ratio.

Question 2

What is Awl?

Accepted Answer

Awl (proportional reduction) applies when the fixed shares add up to more than the whole estate — for example a husband's 1/2 plus two sisters' 2/3. The shares cannot all be paid in full, so the base is increased and every share is scaled down in proportion. The calculator applies Awl automatically using exact fractions and shows that it did.

Question 3

What is Radd?

Accepted Answer

Radd (proportional return) applies when the fixed shares add up to less than the whole estate and there is no residuary to take the surplus. The remainder is returned to the fixed-share heirs in proportion to their shares — but never to a spouse. The calculator applies Radd correctly, excluding a surviving husband or wife from the return.

Question 4

Why doesn't a spouse receive the returned surplus (Radd)?

Accepted Answer

Under Hanafi fiqh, a surviving spouse takes only their fixed Quranic share and does not participate in Radd. If a wife and a daughter survive with no residuary, the wife keeps 1/8 and the daughter receives the rest; if only a spouse survives, the remainder passes to distant kin or the Bait-ul-Mal, not to the spouse.

Question 5

How are sons and daughters treated?

Accepted Answer

A son is a residuary; a daughter is a fixed-share heir when there is no son (1/2 for one, 2/3 shared for two or more) but becomes a residuary alongside a son, splitting the residue with him in a 2:1 ratio — a son receives twice a daughter's share.

Question 6

Who blocks whom (hajb)?

Accepted Answer

Nearer heirs block more distant ones. The father blocks the paternal grandfather and all brothers; two or more daughters block son's daughters; any child or descendant, the father, or the grandfather blocks uterine siblings; and the mother blocks the grandmothers. The calculator lists which heirs were blocked and why.

Question 7

How does the calculator keep the shares exact?

Accepted Answer

It computes every share as an exact fraction using whole-number arithmetic, never floating-point decimals, so the shares always reconcile to exactly one whole estate before conversion to rupees. It then rounds to the rupee and reconciles any rounding remainder onto the largest share, so no rupee is lost or invented.

Question 8

Does this replace a scholar or a lawyer?

Accepted Answer

No. This is an educational estimate of the Hanafi fixed and residuary shares for common cases. Actual inheritance in Pakistan also depends on legal title, succession certificates, jointly-owned assets, lifetime gifts and provincial procedure. Consult a qualified mufti and a Pakistan-based lawyer before any distribution.

Question 9

What about grandchildren whose parent died before the deceased?

Accepted Answer

Classical faraid does not give an orphaned grandchild a share when a son of the deceased is alive, though many jurisdictions allow a mandatory bequest (wasiyya wajiba) in such cases. This calculator applies the classical shares; discuss any predeceased-child situation with a scholar and lawyer, as treatment varies.

Question 10

How much can be given away as a bequest (Wasiyyat)?

Accepted Answer

A bequest is limited to one-third of the estate remaining after funeral costs and debts, and a bequest to an existing heir generally needs the other heirs' consent. The calculator caps the Wasiyyat at one-third and warns when a requested amount exceeds it.

Question 11

Are debts and Mehr paid before distribution?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In order, the estate first covers funeral and burial expenses, then all debts including any unpaid Mehr, then a valid bequest up to one-third; only the residue is distributed as inheritance. The calculator applies these deductions before computing shares.

Question 12

What if the deceased left only a spouse?

Accepted Answer

The spouse takes their fixed share — 1/2 for a husband or 1/4 for a wife with no descendant — and the remainder passes to distant kin (dhawu al-arham) or, failing that, the Bait-ul-Mal. It is not returned to the spouse. The calculator shows the unallocated portion in this case.

Heir	Share	Amount
Wife	1/8 · 12.50%	PKR 1,250,000
Mother	1/6 · 16.67%	PKR 1,666,667
Sons ×2	17/30 · 56.67%	PKR 5,666,666
Daughters	17/120 · 14.17%	PKR 1,416,667

Hanafi inheritance calculator

Estate

Surviving heirs

How the shares are calculated

Frequently asked questions