Question
Does it imply, based on the fact that the Quran gives HALF of the inheritance to the single daughter, that a single Son should inherit the WHOLE based on the 1:2 proportion between female and male?
If this be the case then what will be the shares of the parents when there is only one son? Would the son get the WHOLE of the remainder after the parents shares are distributed?
If this be so then are we not applying two different standards of computation for the single daughter and the single son cases?
Answer
The following principle may help answer your questions:
If there are children – whether only boys, only girls or a combination of both boys and girls – then children will get their shares of inheritance after all:
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all the liabilities of the deceased have been paid out;
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the will of the deceased has been executed and
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all the absolute shares stipulated in the Qur’an (for example, that of the parent’s or the wife/husband of the deceased) have been paid out.
In view of the above, whether there be a single son or a single daughter, the parents of the deceased will each get a sixth of the total assets left behind by the deceased; the wife will get an eighth of the total assets. The balance will be given to the son and half of it will be given to the daughter.
I hope this helps.
Moiz Amjad
July 14, 2006