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Lesson 6 - Intermediate

Full and Half Siblings

Rules for siblings, uterine siblings, and their inheritance rights.

Three kinds of siblings

Faraid distinguishes full siblings (same two parents), paternal half-siblings (same father, different mother), and maternal siblings (same mother, different father) - each with its own share rules.

When siblings can inherit at all

No sibling of any kind inherits while a father, paternal grandfather, or any male descendant of the deceased is alive - this is the kalalah condition.

Full sisters

A single full sister (kalalah, no full brother) takes 1/2; two or more share 2/3. If a full brother is present, sisters instead become residuary alongside him at 2:1. If a female descendant is present instead, full sisters convert to residuary heirs through her (asabah ma'a al-ghayr).

Paternal half-siblings

Paternal half-sisters follow the full sisters' pattern, but only when no full sister or full brother stands ahead of them - a single full sister already present entitles a paternal half-sister to a completing 1/6, while two or more full sisters block her entirely.

Maternal siblings

Maternal siblings are unique: a single maternal sibling takes 1/6, two or more share a pooled 1/3 - split equally between males and females. The usual 2:1 ratio never applies to maternal siblings.

Miraath Guide

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Qur'an 4:11

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنثَيَيْنِ

Allah commands you concerning your children: to the male, a share equal to that of two females.

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