For you is half of what your wives leave behind if they have no children; but if they have a child then to you is one quarter of what they leave behind. All after a will is carried through or a debt. To them is one quarter of what you leave behind if you have no child; but if you have a child then to them is one eighth of what you leave behind. All after a will is carried through or a debt. If a man or a woman has no one, but has a brother or sister, then to each one of them is one sixth, but if they are more than this then they are to share in one third. All after a will is carried through or a debt, which does not cause harm. A directive from God, and God is Knowledgeable, Compassionate.
Translation endnotes
[4:12] . After paying the debt and distributing the shares according to the will, the inheritance will be distributed if the diseased had a mother, father, or wife, and the rest will be distributed to men and women according to the instructed ratio. It is important to remember that the ratio of shares instructed by the Quran to each other is as important as their ratio to the whole. In brief, the fractions are compared both to the whole and to each other. A deceased person might leave behind hundreds of combinations of relatives, father or no father, mother or no mother, son or no son, one son or more sons, daughter or no daughter, one daughter or more daughters, brother or no brother, one brother or more brothers, sister or no sister, one sister or more sisters, and numerous combinations among them. If the Quran suggested the fractions as merely their ratio compared to the whole inheritance, since for each combination of inheritors the ratios too would need to be changed, we would need hundreds of verses detailing the ratio for each combination. However, when we comprehend that the ratio in suggested distributions also reflect the amount of inheritance in proportion to each other, the verses about inheritance can easily be understood and implemented. For instance, let us assume that after deducting the debt and other shares, a man left a 50 thousand dollar inheritance to his wife and father without specially allocating the shares. Their shares should be 1/4th and 1/6th, respectively. Thus, the formula would be (1/4)+(1/6)=50,000. If we find the common denominator, then we see the ratio of inheritance as much clearer. When we take the common denominator, the numerator start to make sense in comparison to the share of each inheritor and to the inheritance: (3/12)+(2/12)=50,000. That means, the wife receives $30,000 and the father receives $20,000 of the inheritance. In sum, to learn the default shares of inheritors the fractions indicating the shares are added up and equated to the inheritance. Let's assume that we are asked to distribute 19 gold pieces among two people; one will receive 1/5th and the other 1/3rd. (k1 + k2 + ... + kn) * x = t pn = kn * x k1 = 1/5 k2 = 1/3 (1/3 + 1/5) * x = 19 x = 19 * 15 / 8 p1 = (1/5) * 19 * 15 / 8 p1= 7 + 1/8 p2 = (1/3) * 19 * 15 / 8 p2= 11 + 7/8 The Old Testament does deprive daughters of inheritance from their parents and favors the first born against other children. Under the patriarchs, the property of a diseased father was divided among the sons of his legal wives and their concubines would not get a share (Genesis 21:10; 24:36; 25:5). The Mosaic law made specific regulations regarding the distribution of real property, giving the eldest son a larger portion than the rest. Deuteronomy 21:17; Numbers 27:8; 36:6; 27:9-11.