Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal (4:11)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Allah commends - to you your children thus

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(4:11) Allah thus commands you concerning your children: the share of the male is like that of two females. *15 If (the heirs of the deceased are) more than two daughters, they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance; *16 and if there is only one daughter, then she shall have half the inheritance. If the deceased has any offspring, each of his parents shall have a sixth of the inheritance; *17 and if the deceased has no child and his parents alone inherit him, then one-third shall go to his mother; *18 and if the deceased has brothers and sisters, then one-sixth shall go to his mother. *19 All these shares are to be given after payment of the bequest he might have made or any debts outstanding against him. *20

You do not know which of them, your parents or your children, are more beneficial to you. But these portions have been determined by Allah, for He indeed knows all, is cognizant of all beneficent considerations. *21

Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal meaning

*15). This is the first general rule in connection with inheritance, viz., that the share of the male should be double that of the female. Since Islamic law imposes greater financial obligations on men in respect of family life and relieves women of a number of such obligations, justice demands that a woman's share in inheritance should be less than that of a man.
*16). The same applies in the case where there are two daughters. If the deceased leaves only daughters, and if there are two or more daughters then they will receive two-thirds of the inheritance and the remaining one-third will go to the other heirs. But if the deceased has only one son there is a consensus among jurists that in the absence of other heirs he is entitled to all the property and if the deceased has other heirs, he is entitled to the property left after their shares have been distributed.
*17). If the deceased leaves issue each of his parents will receive one-sixth of the inheritance irrespective of whether the issue consists either only of daughters, only of sons, of both sons and daughters, of just one son or just one daughter. The remaining two-thirds will be distributed among the rest of the heirs.
*18). If there are no other heirs than the parents, the remaining two-thirds will go to the share of the father; otherwise the two-thirds will be distributed between the father and other heirs.
*19). In the case where the deceased also has brothers and sisters the share of the mother will be one-sixth rather than one-third. In this case the sixth that was deducted from the share of the mother will be added to that of the father, for in this circumstance the father's obligations are heavier. It should be noted that if the parents of the deceased are alive, the brothers and sisters will not be entitled to any share in the inheritance.
*20). The mention of bequest precedes the mention of debt, for although not everyone need be encumbered with debt it is necessary that everyone should make a bequest. (However, other Mufassirun (exegetes) regard making a bequest as a discretionary act - Ed.) As for legalities, there is consensus among Muslims that the payment of debts takes precedence over the payment of bequests, i.e. if the deceased owes a debt and also leaves a bequest, the debt will first be paid out of the inheritance, and only then will his bequest be fulfilled.
We have already stated in connection with bequest (see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, Surah 2, n. 182) that a man has the right to bequeath up to a maximum of one-third of his inheritance. The principle laid down in regard to bequest is that a man can -^ot a portion of his inheritance either to a relative who is not legally entitled to any prescribed share in the inheritance or to others whom he considers deserving of help, e.g. either an orphaned grandson or grand-daughter, the widow of a son in financial distress, any brother, sister, brother's wife, nephew, and other relatives who seem to be in need of support. If there are no such relatives bequests can be made either to other needy people or for charitable purposes. In short, the Law has fixed regulations for the distribution of two-thirds or more of one's inheritance, out of which the legal heirs are to receive their shares according to the regulations laid down by the Law. A maximum of one-third of the inheritance has been left to the discretion of the person concerned, who can dispose of it by means of bequest in light of his particular family circumstances. If anyone makes either an inequitable bequest or misuses his discretion so as to hurt the legitimate rights of others, it is permissible for the members of the family to rectify the situation either by mutual agreement or by requesting a judge to intervene. For further details see my booklet Yatim Pot6 ki Wirathat ka Mas'alah, Lahore, 1954.
*21). This is in response to those feeble-minded people who do not fully appreciate God's law of inheritance and try to fill, with the help of their limited intellect, what they see as gaps in God's Laws.
 

Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal meaning in Urdu

تمہاری اولاد کے بارے میں اللہ تمہیں ہدایت کرتا ہے کہ: مرد کا حصہ دو عورتوں کے برابر ہے، اگر (میت کی وارث) دو سے زائد لڑکیاں ہوں تو انہیں ترکے کا دو تہائی دیا جائے، اور اگر ایک ہی لڑکی وارث ہو تو آدھا ترکہ اس کا ہے اگر میت صاحب اولاد ہو تواس کے والدین میں سے ہر ایک کو ترکے کا چھٹا حصہ ملنا چاہیے اور اگر وہ صاحب اولاد نہ ہو اور والدین ہی اس کے وارث ہو ں تو ماں کو تیسرا حصہ دیا جائے اور اگر میت کے بھائی بہن بھی ہوں تو ماں چھٹے حصہ کی حق دار ہوگی (یہ سب حصے اُس وقت نکالے جائیں) جبکہ وصیت جو میت نے کی ہو پوری کر دی جائے اور قرض جو اُس پر ہو ادا کر دیا جائے تم نہیں جانتے کہ تمہارے ماں باپ اور تمہاری اولاد میں سے کون بلحاظ نفع تم سے قریب تر ہے یہ حصے اللہ نے مقرر کر دیے ہیں، اور اللہ یقیناً سب حقیقتوں سے واقف اور ساری مصلحتوں کا جاننے والا ہے