Inheritance Ruling: Shares of Daughter, Granddaughter, Sister, and Niece
Reference: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, Page 600
❖ Question
① A woman named Murād Khatoon passed away, leaving behind one daughter and one granddaughter. How should the estate be divided?
② A woman named Musammat Bān passed away, leaving behind one sister and one niece. What is the Shariah ruling for distribution?
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
It must be understood that from the deceased’s estate:
◈ First, funeral and burial expenses are deducted.
◈ Then, debts of the deceased are repaid.
◈ If there is a valid will, it is executed from up to one-third (⅓) of the estate.
◈ After that, the remaining estate is considered as 1 Rupee and distributed among the heirs as follows:
① Case of Murād Khatoon
Total Estate: 1 Rupee
Heirs:
◈ Daughter = 8 annas
◈ Granddaughter = 2 annas 8 paisas
The remainder, i.e., 5 annas 8 paisas, is divided into three shares:
◈ Two parts go to the daughter
◈ One part goes to the granddaughter
② Case of Musammat Bān
Total Estate: 1 Rupee
Heirs:
◈ Sister = 8 annas
◈ Niece = 8 annas
③ Decimal System Distribution
Murād Khatoon’s Estate (Total = 100):
◈ Daughter → 72.22% (i.e., ½)
◈ Granddaughter → 27.78% (i.e., ⅙)
Musammat Bān’s Estate (Total = 100):
◈ Sister → 50% (i.e., ½)
◈ Niece → 50%
ھذا ما عندی واللہ أعلم بالصواب
