Quran 4:11 — An-Nisaa, verse 11
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Concerning your children, God commands you that a son should have the equivalent share of two daughters. If there are only daughters, two or more should share two-thirds of the inheritance, if one, she should have half. Parents inherit a sixth each if the deceased leaves children; if he leaves no children and his parents are his sole heirs, his mother has a third, unless he has brothers, in which case she has a sixth. [In all cases, the distribution comes] after payment of any bequests or debts. You cannot know which of your parents or your children is more beneficial to you: this is a law from God, and He is all knowing, all wise.
يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ ۚ فَإِنْ كُنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ ۖ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ ۚ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ ۚ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ ۚ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۗ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعًا ۚ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
yūṣīkumu l-lahu fī awlādikum lildhakari mith'lu ḥaẓẓi l-unthayayni fa-in kunna nisāan fawqa ith'natayni falahunna thuluthā mā taraka wa-in kānat wāḥidatan falahā l-niṣ'fu wali-abawayhi likulli wāḥidin min'humā l-sudusu mimmā taraka in kāna lahu waladun fa-in lam yakun lahu waladun wawarithahu abawāhu fali-ummihi l-thuluthu fa-in kāna lahu ikh'watun fali-ummihi l-sudusu min baʿdi waṣiyyatin yūṣī bihā aw daynin ābāukum wa-abnāukum lā tadrūna ayyuhum aqrabu lakum nafʿan farīḍatan mina l-lahi inna l-laha kāna ʿalīman ḥakīman
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- God charges you, concerning your children: to the male the like of the portion of two females, and if they be women above two, then for them two-thirds of what he leaves, but if she be one then to her a half; and to his parents to each one of the two the sixth of what he leaves, if he has children; but if he has no children, and his heirs are his parents, a third to his mother, or, if he has brothers, to his mother a sixth, after any bequest he may bequeath, or any debt. Your fathers and your sons -- you know not which out of them is nearer in profit to you. So God apportions; surely God is All-knowing, All-wise.
- Muhammad Asad
- CONCERNING [the inheritance of] your children, God enjoins [this] upon you: The male shall have the equal of two females’ share; but if there are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what [their parents] leave behind; and if there is only one daughter, she shall have one-half thereof. And as for the parents [of the deceased], each of them shall have one-sixth of what he leaves behind, in the event of his having [left] a child; but if he has left no child and his parents are his [only] heirs, then his mother shall have one-third; and if he has brothers and sisters, then his mother shall have one-sixth after [the deduction of] any bequest he may have made, or any debt [he may have incurred]. As for your parents and your children - you know not which of them is more deserving of benefit from you: [therefore this] ordinance from God. Verily, God is all-knowing, wise.
- Sahih International
- Allāh instructs you concerning your children [i.e., their portions of inheritance]: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. And if there is only one, for her is half. And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children. But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [and/or sisters], for his mother is a sixth, after any bequest he [may have] made or debt. Your parents or your children - you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit. [These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | يُوصِيكُمُyūṣīkumu | Instructs you | وصي |
| 2 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 3 | فِىٓfī | concerning | — |
| 4 | أَوْلَـٰدِكُمْ ۖawlādikum | your children | ولد |
| 5 | لِلذَّكَرِlildhakari | for the male | ذكر |
| 6 | مِثْلُmith'lu | like | مثل |
| 7 | حَظِّḥaẓẓi | (the) portion | حظظ |
| 8 | ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۚl-unthayayni | (of) two females | أنث |
| 9 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 10 | كُنَّkunna | there are | كون |
| 11 | نِسَآءًۭnisāan | (only) women | نسو |
| 12 | فَوْقَfawqa | more (than) | فوق |
| 13 | ٱثْنَتَيْنِith'natayni | two | ثني |
| 14 | فَلَهُنَّfalahunna | then for them | — |
| 15 | ثُلُثَاthuluthā | two thirds | ثلث |
| 16 | مَاmā | (of) what | — |
| 17 | تَرَكَ ۖtaraka | he left | ترك |
| 18 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 19 | كَانَتْkānat | (there) is | كون |
| 20 | وَٰحِدَةًۭwāḥidatan | (only) one | وحد |
| 21 | فَلَهَاfalahā | then for her | — |
| 22 | ٱلنِّصْفُ ۚl-niṣ'fu | (is) half | نصف |
| 23 | وَلِأَبَوَيْهِwali-abawayhi | And for his parents | أبو |
| 24 | لِكُلِّlikulli | for each | كلل |
| 25 | وَٰحِدٍۢwāḥidin | one | وحد |
| 26 | مِّنْهُمَاmin'humā | of them | — |
| 27 | ٱلسُّدُسُl-sudusu | a sixth | سدس |
| 28 | مِمَّاmimmā | of what | — |
| 29 | تَرَكَtaraka | (is) left | ترك |
| 30 | إِنin | if | — |
| 31 | كَانَkāna | is | كون |
| 32 | لَهُۥlahu | for him | — |
| 33 | وَلَدٌۭ ۚwaladun | a child | ولد |
| 34 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 35 | لَّمْlam | not | — |
| 36 | يَكُنyakun | is | كون |
| 37 | لَّهُۥlahu | for him | — |
| 38 | وَلَدٌۭwaladun | any child | ولد |
| 39 | وَوَرِثَهُۥٓwawarithahu | and inherit[ed] him | ورث |
| 40 | أَبَوَاهُabawāhu | his parents | أبو |
| 41 | فَلِأُمِّهِfali-ummihi | then for his mother | أمم |
| 42 | ٱلثُّلُثُ ۚl-thuluthu | (is) one third | ثلث |
| 43 | فَإِنfa-in | And if | — |
| 44 | كَانَkāna | are | كون |
| 45 | لَهُۥٓlahu | for him | — |
| 46 | إِخْوَةٌۭikh'watun | brothers and sisters | أخو |
| 47 | فَلِأُمِّهِfali-ummihi | then for his mother | أمم |
| 48 | ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚl-sudusu | (is) the sixth | سدس |
| 49 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 50 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 51 | وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatin | any will | وصي |
| 52 | يُوصِىyūṣī | he has made | وصي |
| 53 | بِهَآbihā | [of which] | — |
| 54 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 55 | دَيْنٍ ۗdaynin | any debt | دين |
| 56 | ءَابَآؤُكُمْābāukum | Your parents | أبو |
| 57 | وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْwa-abnāukum | and your children | بني |
| 58 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 59 | تَدْرُونَtadrūna | you know | دري |
| 60 | أَيُّهُمْayyuhum | which of them | — |
| 61 | أَقْرَبُaqrabu | (is) nearer | قرب |
| 62 | لَكُمْlakum | to you | — |
| 63 | نَفْعًۭا ۚnafʿan | (in) benefit | نفع |
| 64 | فَرِيضَةًۭfarīḍatan | An obligation | فرض |
| 65 | مِّنَmina | from | — |
| 66 | ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 67 | إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 68 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 69 | كَانَkāna | is | كون |
| 70 | عَلِيمًاʿalīman | All-Knowing | علم |
| 71 | حَكِيمًۭاḥakīman | All-Wise | حكم |