سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 176
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى ٱلْكَلَـٰلَةِ ۚ إِنِ ٱمْرُؤٌا۟ هَلَكَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌ وَلَهُۥٓ أُخْتٌ فَلَهَا نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ ۚ وَهُوَ يَرِثُهَآ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهَا وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِن كَانَتَا ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُمَا ٱلثُّلُثَانِ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ۚ وَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَةً رِّجَالًا وَنِسَآءً فَلِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۗ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۢ ﴿176﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They ask you for a legal verdict. Say: "Allâh directs (thus) about Al-Kalâlah (those who leave neither descendants nor ascendants as heirs). If it is a man that dies leaving a sister, but no child, she shall have half the inheritance. If (such a deceased was) a woman, who left no child, her brother takes her inheritance. If there are two sisters, they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance; if there are brothers and sisters, the male will have twice the share of the female. (Thus) does Allâh make clear to you (His Law) lest you go astray. And Allâh is the All-Knower of everything."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ
yastaftūnaka
They seek your ruling
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يُفْتِيكُمْ
yuf'tīkum
gives you a ruling
فِى
fī
concerning
ٱلْكَلَـٰلَةِ ۚ
l-kalālati
the Kalala
إِنِ
ini
if
ٱمْرُؤٌا۟
im'ru-on
a man
هَلَكَ
halaka
died
لَيْسَ
laysa
(and) not
لَهُۥ
lahu
he has
وَلَدٌۭ
waladun
a child
وَلَهُۥٓ
walahu
and he has
أُخْتٌۭ
ukh'tun
a sister
فَلَهَا
falahā
then for her
نِصْفُ
niṣ'fu
(is) a half
مَا
mā
(of) what
تَرَكَ ۚ
taraka
he left
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And he
يَرِثُهَآ
yarithuhā
will inherit from her
إِن
in
if
لَّمْ
lam
not
يَكُن
yakun
is
لَّهَا
lahā
for her
وَلَدٌۭ ۚ
waladun
a child
فَإِن
fa-in
But if
كَانَتَا
kānatā
there were
ٱثْنَتَيْنِ
ith'natayni
two females
فَلَهُمَا
falahumā
then for them
ٱلثُّلُثَانِ
l-thuluthāni
two thirds
مِمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَرَكَ ۚ
taraka
he left
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
they were
إِخْوَةًۭ
ikh'watan
brothers and sisters
رِّجَالًۭا
rijālan
men
وَنِسَآءًۭ
wanisāan
and women
فَلِلذَّكَرِ
falildhakari
then the male will have
مِثْلُ
mith'lu
like
حَظِّ
ḥaẓẓi
share
ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۗ
l-unthayayni
(of) the two females
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
أَن
an
lest
تَضِلُّوا۟ ۗ
taḍillū
you go astray
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
بِكُلِّ
bikulli
of every
شَىْءٍ
shayin
thing
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knower
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
176. They ask you for a ruling concerning kalalah [233]. Say: “Allah gives you a ruling concerning kalalah: If a man dies childless and has a sister, she will have half of what he leaves. And he will inherit from her if she dies childless. If there are two sisters, they will have two-thirds of what he leaves. But if there are brothers and sisters—men and women—then the male will have the share of two females. Allah makes this clear to you so that you do not go astray [235]. And Allah is Knowing of all things.”
[233] This verse was revealed in the last days of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, at a time when Surah An-Nisa had already been completed. In it, another aspect of the inheritance of kalalah is mentioned, about which the Companions ؓ had inquired from you. Since the ruling of the inheritance of kalalah is mentioned in verse 12 of this Surah, and the rest of the inheritance rulings are also stated in verses 11 and 12 of this Surah, therefore, this verse has also been included at the end of this Surah as a supplement. It should be clear that the connection and arrangement of the verses of any Surah is tawqeefi, meaning that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in the light of divine revelation, placed all the verses in their appropriate places.
[234]
Distribution of the Inheritance of Kalalah:
Children are of three types:
(1) Full or real siblings, whose mother and father are both the same. (2) Consanguine or paternal siblings, whose father is the same but mothers are different. (3) Uterine siblings, whose mother is the same but fathers are different. The rulings of inheritance of kalalah mentioned in verse 12 of this Surah pertain to uterine siblings, and those being stated in verse 176 pertain to full or consanguine siblings. In the distribution of the inheritance of kalalah, two things must be kept in mind: first, if both full and consanguine siblings of kalalah are present, then in the presence of full siblings, the consanguine siblings will be deprived, and if there are no full siblings, then the property will be distributed among the consanguine siblings. Second, the distribution of inheritance among the siblings of kalalah will be exactly as it is in the case of children. That is, if there is only one sister, she will receive half. If there are two or more sisters, they will receive two-thirds, and if there is only a brother, he will be the sole heir of the entire estate. If there are both brothers and sisters, then each male will receive two shares and each female one share. Kalalah refers to a man or woman who has neither children nor parents, and in fact, no paternal ascendants. Now, there are two cases of kalalah: one is that the deceased is a woman and her husband is also not present, or the deceased is a man and his wife is also not present. The second is that the deceased is a man and his wife is present, or the deceased is a woman and her husband is present. In the second case, the spouses will also be entitled to their prescribed share in the inheritance. For example, if the kalalah is a woman whose husband is present and she has one living sister, then half will go to the husband and half to the sister. If there are two or more sisters, then according to the method of 'awl, instead of dividing the estate into six parts, it will be divided into seven, with three parts going to the husband and four parts to the sisters. If there are both brothers and sisters, then according to the rule "for the male, like ﴿حظ الانثيين﴾," half of the inheritance will be distributed among them. Now the question arises: if it is the first case, i.e., the kalalah woman has no husband or the man has no wife, and there is only one sister, then she receives half. Who will receive the remaining half? The answer is that the remaining half can be given to the sister as 'radd', or if there are distant relatives (i.e., those who are neither among the fixed sharers nor among the agnates), such as maternal uncles, paternal aunts, etc., or their children, then they will receive it. If they are also not present, then the remaining half can be deposited in the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal), and such situations are very rare. [235] That is, Allah Almighty has provided the solution to the confusion the Companions ؓ had regarding some aspects of the distribution of the inheritance of kalalah, so now there is no need for you to be worried. Incidentally, it is also understood from this that when the Companions ؓ would ask you about an issue, you would not answer it on your own, but would wait for divine revelation.
[233] This verse was revealed in the last days of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, at a time when Surah An-Nisa had already been completed. In it, another aspect of the inheritance of kalalah is mentioned, about which the Companions ؓ had inquired from you. Since the ruling of the inheritance of kalalah is mentioned in verse 12 of this Surah, and the rest of the inheritance rulings are also stated in verses 11 and 12 of this Surah, therefore, this verse has also been included at the end of this Surah as a supplement. It should be clear that the connection and arrangement of the verses of any Surah is tawqeefi, meaning that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in the light of divine revelation, placed all the verses in their appropriate places.
[234]
Distribution of the Inheritance of Kalalah:
Children are of three types:
(1) Full or real siblings, whose mother and father are both the same. (2) Consanguine or paternal siblings, whose father is the same but mothers are different. (3) Uterine siblings, whose mother is the same but fathers are different. The rulings of inheritance of kalalah mentioned in verse 12 of this Surah pertain to uterine siblings, and those being stated in verse 176 pertain to full or consanguine siblings. In the distribution of the inheritance of kalalah, two things must be kept in mind: first, if both full and consanguine siblings of kalalah are present, then in the presence of full siblings, the consanguine siblings will be deprived, and if there are no full siblings, then the property will be distributed among the consanguine siblings. Second, the distribution of inheritance among the siblings of kalalah will be exactly as it is in the case of children. That is, if there is only one sister, she will receive half. If there are two or more sisters, they will receive two-thirds, and if there is only a brother, he will be the sole heir of the entire estate. If there are both brothers and sisters, then each male will receive two shares and each female one share. Kalalah refers to a man or woman who has neither children nor parents, and in fact, no paternal ascendants. Now, there are two cases of kalalah: one is that the deceased is a woman and her husband is also not present, or the deceased is a man and his wife is also not present. The second is that the deceased is a man and his wife is present, or the deceased is a woman and her husband is present. In the second case, the spouses will also be entitled to their prescribed share in the inheritance. For example, if the kalalah is a woman whose husband is present and she has one living sister, then half will go to the husband and half to the sister. If there are two or more sisters, then according to the method of 'awl, instead of dividing the estate into six parts, it will be divided into seven, with three parts going to the husband and four parts to the sisters. If there are both brothers and sisters, then according to the rule "for the male, like ﴿حظ الانثيين﴾," half of the inheritance will be distributed among them. Now the question arises: if it is the first case, i.e., the kalalah woman has no husband or the man has no wife, and there is only one sister, then she receives half. Who will receive the remaining half? The answer is that the remaining half can be given to the sister as 'radd', or if there are distant relatives (i.e., those who are neither among the fixed sharers nor among the agnates), such as maternal uncles, paternal aunts, etc., or their children, then they will receive it. If they are also not present, then the remaining half can be deposited in the public treasury (Bait-ul-Mal), and such situations are very rare. [235] That is, Allah Almighty has provided the solution to the confusion the Companions ؓ had regarding some aspects of the distribution of the inheritance of kalalah, so now there is no need for you to be worried. Incidentally, it is also understood from this that when the Companions ؓ would ask you about an issue, you would not answer it on your own, but would wait for divine revelation.
