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Lesson 3 - Core Topic

Spouses in Faraid

Shares of husbands and wives, with and without children.

The husband's share

A husband takes 1/2 of his wife's estate if she leaves no descendant (child or son's descendant), and 1/4 if she does.

The wife or wives' share

A wife takes 1/4 of her husband's estate if he leaves no descendant, and 1/8 if he does. If a man leaves more than one wife (up to four), this fraction is a single pool, divided equally among them - it is not multiplied per wife.

Spouses are never blocked

Unlike most other heirs, a spouse's share is never reduced to zero by another relative's presence - it only moves between the two Qur'anic fractions above. A spouse can, however, be affected by Awl (proportional reduction), though never increased by Radd.

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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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