Lesson 1 - Beginner
Foundations of Inheritance
Introduction to Faraid, its sources, principles, and key terminology.
What is Faraid?
Faraid is the Islamic science of inheritance: a fixed system for distributing a deceased person's estate among their surviving relatives, established primarily in the Qur'an (chiefly 4:11, 4:12, and 4:176) and elaborated by the Sunnah and classical scholarship.
Why the shares are fixed
Unlike a will, which a person can freely direct up to one-third of their estate toward, the Faraid shares themselves are not left to personal preference. This protects vulnerable heirs - such as women and minors - from being excluded, and treats inheritance as a right rather than a gift.
Two broad categories of heirs
Heirs fall into two broad groups: Ashab al-Furud, who receive a fixed fraction of the estate (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 2/3, 1/3, or 1/6), and Asabah, who receive whatever residue remains after fixed shares are paid. Some heirs, like the father, can occupy both roles depending on who else survives.