Faraid Cases That Break Simple Rules: Awl, Radd, and Grandchildren
When the fixed shares in Quran 4:11-12 add up to more than 1, or less than 1 — the classical jurists invented awl and radd. Here they are in plain English.
Why the fixed shares sometimes do not fit
The Quran gives spouses, parents, and daughters specific fractional shares. In some family structures those fractions add up to MORE than 1 — impossible. In others they add up to LESS than 1 — leaving a residue with no clear destination. Classical jurists invented two mechanisms to solve this: awl (reduce everyone proportionally) and radd (redistribute the residue proportionally).
Awl — proportional reduction
Example: a woman dies leaving husband (1/2), mother (1/6), and two full sisters (2/3). That is 1/2 + 1/6 + 2/3 = 4/6 + 1/6 + 4/6 = 9/6 — impossible. The Sunni consensus applies awl: convert every share to a common denominator (6) and rescale down so the sum equals 1. Everyone loses proportionally: husband gets 3/9, mother gets 1/9, sisters get 4/9. First applied by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA). Rejected by Ithna Ashari Shia jurisprudence which uses a different rebalancing scheme.
Radd — proportional expansion
Example: a woman dies leaving only her mother and a daughter. Mother gets 1/6, daughter gets 1/2 — total 4/6. What happens to the other 2/6? Sunni consensus (with early debate): if there is no residuary heir (asabah), the surplus is returned (radd) to the fixed-share heirs proportionally — EXCEPT to spouses. So mother's share bumps up, daughter's share bumps up, both retain their 1:3 ratio. The Hanafi/Maliki/Shafi'i/Hanbali positions on WHO qualifies for radd differ subtly — the classical mainstream is proportional radd to all except the spouse.
Orphaned grandchildren — the Wajib Wasiyyah
Classical Hanafi fiqh EXCLUDES orphaned grandchildren from inheritance when the deceased has surviving children of another line (the "closer relative excludes the further"). Modern personal-status laws in Egypt (Law 71/1946), Jordan (art. 279 PSL), Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait have overridden this by introducing a STATUTORY OBLIGATORY BEQUEST (Wajib Wasiyyah) — the state deems that the deceased WOULD HAVE bequeathed to the orphaned grandchild the share their predeceased parent would have received, capped at 1/3. This is one of the most humane modern reforms in Islamic inheritance codification.
Half-siblings — three types
Islamic law distinguishes three sibling types: (a) full siblings (same father and mother) — highest priority. (b) Consanguine half-siblings (same father, different mother) — inherit only when no full siblings exist. (c) Uterine half-siblings (same mother, different father) — always inherit at 1/6 collectively (or 1/3 if two or more), governed by Quran 4:12. This is the ONLY case in Sunni Faraid where a woman inherits equally with a man in the same class.
Awrah in inheritance — the eldest paternal grandmother
Grandmothers inherit in specific cases: paternal grandmother, or maternal grandmother, at 1/6 collectively when no mother is alive. When multiple grandmothers are alive, they share the 1/6 equally. This is one of the subtle cases handled correctly by our Faraid calculator.
Using our calculator for these cases
The Faraid engine at /inheritance handles awl, radd, Wajib Wasiyyah, half-sibling logic, and all four Sunni madhhab variants automatically. You can toggle Wajib Wasiyyah on/off, switch between madhhabs, and see the shares recomputed instantly. All math executed in your browser — nothing sent to a server.
FAQ
When does awl happen?
When the sum of Quranic fixed shares exceeds 1 — typically in cases involving spouses + multiple daughters/sisters. Every share is scaled down proportionally.
When does radd happen?
When the sum of fixed shares is less than 1 AND there is no residuary heir (asabah). The surplus returns to the fixed-share heirs proportionally, except the spouse.
Do orphaned grandchildren always inherit?
Not under classical Hanafi fiqh. Yes under the modern personal-status codes of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bangladesh — via Wajib Wasiyyah (statutory obligatory bequest), capped at 1/3.
Do Ithna Ashari (Shia) rules produce the same shares as Sunni?
No. Jaʿfari fiqh often gives more to daughters and less to distant paternal relatives. Our calculator has a Jaʿfari toggle to model this correctly.
What if I need help with a specific family case?
Consult a qualified scholar or Islamic family lawyer. Our calculator is educational, not legal advice.