Quran 4:12 — An-Nisaa, verse 12
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
You inherit half of what your wives leave, if they have no children; if they have children, you inherit a quarter. [In all cases, the distribution comes] after payment of any bequests or debts. If you have no children, your wives’ share is a quarter; if you have children, your wives get an eighth. [In all cases, the distribution comes] after payment of any bequests or debts. If a man or a woman dies leaving no children or parents, but a single brother or sister, he or she should take one-sixth of the inheritance; if there are more siblings, they share one-third between them. [In all cases, the distribution comes] after payment of any bequests or debts, with no harm done to anyone: this is a commandment from God: God is all knowing and benign to all.
وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَاجُكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ ۚ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِينَ بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۚ وَلَهُنَّ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ فَلَهُنَّ الثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ ۚ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ تُوصُونَ بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۗ وَإِنْ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ وَلَهُ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌ فَلِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ ۚ فَإِنْ كَانُوا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ فَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فِي الثُّلُثِ ۚ مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصَىٰ بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ ۚ وَصِيَّةً مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ
walakum niṣ'fu mā taraka azwājukum in lam yakun lahunna waladun fa-in kāna lahunna waladun falakumu l-rubuʿu mimmā tarakna min baʿdi waṣiyyatin yūṣīna bihā aw daynin walahunna l-rubuʿu mimmā taraktum in lam yakun lakum waladun fa-in kāna lakum waladun falahunna l-thumunu mimmā taraktum min baʿdi waṣiyyatin tūṣūna bihā aw daynin wa-in kāna rajulun yūrathu kalālatan awi im'ra-atun walahu akhun aw ukh'tun falikulli wāḥidin min'humā l-sudusu fa-in kānū akthara min dhālika fahum shurakāu fī l-thuluthi min baʿdi waṣiyyatin yūṣā bihā aw daynin ghayra muḍārrin waṣiyyatan mina l-lahi wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥalīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And for you a half of what your wives leave, if they have no children; but if they have children, then for you of what they leave a fourth, after any bequest they may bequeath, or any debt. And for them a fourth of what you leave, if you have no children; but if you have children, then for them of what you leave an eighth, after any bequest you may bequeath, or any debt. If a man or a woman have no heir direct, but have a brother or a sister, to each of the two a sixth; but if they are more numerous than that, they share equally a third, after any bequest he may bequeath, or any debt not prejudicial; a charge from God. God is All-knowing, All-clement.
- Muhammad Asad
- And you shall inherit one-half of what your wives leave behind, provided they have left no child; but if they have left a child, then you shall have one-quarter of what they leave behind, after [the deduction of] any bequest they may have made, or any debt [they may have incurred]. And your widows shall have one-quarter of what you leave behind, provided you have left no child; but if you have left a child, then they shall have one-eighth of what you leave behind, after [the deduction of] any bequest you may have made, or any debt [you may have incurred]. And if a man or a woman has no heir in the direct line, but has a brother or a sister, then each of these two shall inherit one-sixth; but if there are more than two, then they shall share in one-third [of the inheritance], after [the deduction of] any bequest that may have been made, or any debt [that may have been incurred], neither of which having been intended to harm [the heirs]. [This is] an injunction from God: and God is all-knowing, forbearing.
- Sahih International
- And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for them [i.e., the wives] is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you [may have] made or debt. And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth. But if they are more than two, they share a third, after any bequest which was made or debt, as long as there is no detriment [caused]. [This is] an ordinance from Allāh, and Allāh is Knowing and Forbearing.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ۞ وَلَكُمْwalakum | And for you | — |
| 2 | نِصْفُniṣ'fu | (is) half | نصف |
| 3 | مَاmā | (of) what | — |
| 4 | تَرَكَtaraka | (is) left | ترك |
| 5 | أَزْوَٰجُكُمْazwājukum | by your wives | زوج |
| 6 | إِنin | if | — |
| 7 | لَّمْlam | not | — |
| 8 | يَكُنyakun | is | كون |
| 9 | لَّهُنَّlahunna | for them | — |
| 10 | وَلَدٌۭ ۚwaladun | a child | ولد |
| 11 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 12 | كَانَkāna | is | كون |
| 13 | لَهُنَّlahunna | for them | — |
| 14 | وَلَدٌۭwaladun | a child | ولد |
| 15 | فَلَكُمُfalakumu | then for you | — |
| 16 | ٱلرُّبُعُl-rubuʿu | (is) the fourth | ربع |
| 17 | مِمَّاmimmā | of what | — |
| 18 | تَرَكْنَ ۚtarakna | they left | ترك |
| 19 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 20 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 21 | وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatin | any will | وصي |
| 22 | يُوصِينَyūṣīna | they have made | وصي |
| 23 | بِهَآbihā | [for which] | — |
| 24 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 25 | دَيْنٍۢ ۚdaynin | any debt | دين |
| 26 | وَلَهُنَّwalahunna | And for them | — |
| 27 | ٱلرُّبُعُl-rubuʿu | (is) the fourth | ربع |
| 28 | مِمَّاmimmā | of what | — |
| 29 | تَرَكْتُمْtaraktum | you left | ترك |
| 30 | إِنin | if | — |
| 31 | لَّمْlam | not | — |
| 32 | يَكُنyakun | is | كون |
| 33 | لَّكُمْlakum | for you | — |
| 34 | وَلَدٌۭ ۚwaladun | a child | ولد |
| 35 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 36 | كَانَkāna | is | كون |
| 37 | لَكُمْlakum | for you | — |
| 38 | وَلَدٌۭwaladun | a child | ولد |
| 39 | فَلَهُنَّfalahunna | then for them | — |
| 40 | ٱلثُّمُنُl-thumunu | (is) the eighth | ثمن |
| 41 | مِمَّاmimmā | of what | — |
| 42 | تَرَكْتُم ۚtaraktum | you left | ترك |
| 43 | مِّنۢmin | from | — |
| 44 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 45 | وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatin | any will | وصي |
| 46 | تُوصُونَtūṣūna | you have made | وصي |
| 47 | بِهَآbihā | [for which] | — |
| 48 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 49 | دَيْنٍۢ ۗdaynin | any debt | دين |
| 50 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 51 | كَانَkāna | [is] | كون |
| 52 | رَجُلٌۭrajulun | a man | رجل |
| 53 | يُورَثُyūrathu | (whose wealth) is to be inherited | ورث |
| 54 | كَلَـٰلَةًkalālatan | (has) no parent or child | كلل |
| 55 | أَوِawi | or | — |
| 56 | ٱمْرَأَةٌۭim'ra-atun | a women | مرأ |
| 57 | وَلَهُۥٓwalahu | and for him | — |
| 58 | أَخٌakhun | (is) a brother | أخو |
| 59 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 60 | أُخْتٌۭukh'tun | a sister | أخو |
| 61 | فَلِكُلِّfalikulli | then for each | كلل |
| 62 | وَٰحِدٍۢwāḥidin | one | وحد |
| 63 | مِّنْهُمَاmin'humā | of (the) two | — |
| 64 | ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚl-sudusu | (is) the sixth | سدس |
| 65 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 66 | كَانُوٓا۟kānū | they are | كون |
| 67 | أَكْثَرَakthara | more | كثر |
| 68 | مِنmin | than | — |
| 69 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | that | — |
| 70 | فَهُمْfahum | then they | — |
| 71 | شُرَكَآءُshurakāu | (are) partners | شرك |
| 72 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 73 | ٱلثُّلُثِ ۚl-thuluthi | the third | ثلث |
| 74 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 75 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 76 | وَصِيَّةٍۢwaṣiyyatin | any will | وصي |
| 77 | يُوصَىٰyūṣā | was made | وصي |
| 78 | بِهَآbihā | [for which] | — |
| 79 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 80 | دَيْنٍdaynin | any debt | دين |
| 81 | غَيْرَghayra | without | غير |
| 82 | مُضَآرٍّۢ ۚmuḍārrin | (being) harmful | ضرر |
| 83 | وَصِيَّةًۭwaṣiyyatan | An ordinance | وصي |
| 84 | مِّنَmina | from | — |
| 85 | ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 86 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 87 | عَلِيمٌʿalīmun | (is) All-Knowing | علم |
| 88 | حَلِيمٌۭḥalīmun | All-Forbearing | حلم |