Does faraid override a will (wasiat)?

For the bulk of the estate, yes. A Muslim may bequeath at most one-third of the estate by wasiat, and that one-third generally cannot go to existing Quranic heirs unless all other adult heirs consent after death. The remaining two-thirds (and the entire estate if no wasiat is made) is distributed by faraid.

What about jointly-owned property and harta sepencarian?

Harta sepencarian (jointly-acquired marital property) is settled separately by the Syariah Court before faraid is applied. The surviving spouse's share of harta sepencarian is removed from the estate first, and only the deceased's portion enters the faraid distribution.

Is this calculator a legal opinion?

No. It is a planning aid based on standard Sunni rules as commonly applied in Malaysia. Complex family situations — non-Muslim heirs, adopted children, missing persons, contested paternity, foreign assets — should be confirmed with a qualified Syariah lawyer or the Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah.

How are EPF, insurance, and Tabung Haji handled?

EPF, insurance payouts to a nominee, and Tabung Haji balances are not automatically excluded from faraid. In Malaysia, the nominee is treated as a trustee (wasi) who must distribute the proceeds according to faraid, not as an absolute beneficiary. Tabung Haji and similar agencies may release funds directly to the nominee for administrative simplicity, but the funds remain part of the faraid estate.

Do adopted children inherit by faraid?

Adopted children (anak angkat) do not inherit through faraid because Islamic law does not recognise legal adoption as creating an inheritance relationship. They may, however, receive up to one-third of the estate through wasiat or via hibah (gifts made during the deceased's lifetime).

What happens to debts the deceased owed?

All debts must be settled from the estate before any distribution. This includes unpaid zakat, mahar, kifarah, and conventional debts. If the estate cannot cover the debts, heirs are not personally liable, but they receive nothing until creditors are repaid.

Can non-Muslims inherit from a Muslim?

Direct inheritance by faraid requires the heir to also be Muslim. A non-Muslim spouse or child does not inherit by faraid, but the deceased may leave them up to one-third by wasiat. Some Malaysian practitioners also use hibah ruqba and other mechanisms to provide for non-Muslim family members.

Faraid calculator

Islamic inheritance distribution made clear.

Faraid is the Islamic system for distributing a deceased Muslim's estate among heirs. This calculator applies standard Sunni jurisprudence — as practised in Malaysia by Syariah courts — to the most common family configurations. Enter the surviving heirs and the estate value to see each heir's fixed share, any residual (asabah), and the final ringgit amount per person.

How faraid distribution works

Before faraid is applied, four pre-distribution items must be settled from the estate, in this order: (1) funeral and burial expenses; (2) outstanding debts owed by the deceased — including unpaid zakat, kifarah, mahar, and conventional debts; (3) valid wasiat to non-heirs, capped at one-third of the residue; and (4) any harta sepencarian (jointly-acquired marital property) due to the surviving spouse.

Whatever remains after these deductions is the net distributable estate. Faraid then divides this net estate among two classes of heirs: Quranic heirs (ashab al-furud), whose shares are explicitly fixed by the Qur'an, and residuary heirs (asabah), who receive whatever surplus is left after the Quranic shares are paid out.

If the Quranic shares sum to less than the whole net estate, the residual passes to the male agnatic line — typically sons (and through them, grandsons), then the father, then brothers, then paternal uncles. If there are no asabah, the surplus reverts (radd) back to the Quranic heirs in proportion to their shares, with the spouse usually excluded from this reversion.

Two special doctrines occasionally apply. Awl (proportional reduction) is used when the sum of fixed shares exceeds one — every share is scaled down so the total adds up to one. Hajb (exclusion) blocks distant heirs in favour of closer ones — for example, a grandson is excluded if the deceased's son is alive.

The calculator handles these standard cases, but it is a planning aid only. Complex situations — non-Muslim heirs, adopted children, conflicting paternity, missing or unborn heirs, harta sepencarian disputes — should be referred to a Malaysian Syariah Court or qualified Syariah lawyer.

Common fixed shares

Husband: 1/4 (when the deceased wife has surviving descendants) or 1/2 (no surviving descendants).

Wife / wives: 1/8 (with surviving descendants) or 1/4 (without), divided equally if multiple wives.

Daughter: 1/2 if she is the only daughter and there is no son; 2/3 split among two or more daughters with no son; ta'sib (residuary) at the rate of half a son's share when sons exist.

Son: residuary heir — receives twice the share of any daughter and inherits the entire residual if alone.

Mother: 1/6 if the deceased has children or two or more siblings; 1/3 otherwise (subject to the Umariyyatan adjustment when spouse + both parents are the only heirs).

Father: 1/6 as a fixed share if the deceased has a son or son-of-son; residuary heir otherwise, with the right to a fixed 1/6 in addition to any residual when daughters but no sons survive.

Full sister: 1/2 (one only, no son/daughter/father), 2/3 (two+, same conditions), or residuary alongside brothers (kalalah cases).

Half-siblings (uterine): 1/6 (one) or 1/3 split (two+), only when the deceased has no descendants or father.

Quick reference — Quranic shares

Heir	Share with descendants	Share without descendants
Husband	1/4	1/2
Wife (one or several, combined)	1/8	1/4
Daughter (one, no son)	1/2	1/2
Daughters (two+, no son)	2/3 combined	2/3 combined
Mother	1/6	1/3 (or special cases)
Father	1/6 + residual if no son	Residual
Full sister (one, no son/daughter/father)	Not applicable (excluded)	1/2
Full sisters (two+)	Excluded	2/3 combined

Shares can be adjusted by awl (proportional reduction) or radd (return) depending on the heir combination.

Worked examples

Example 1 — Husband, mother, two daughters

Estate (net): RM 600,000
Surviving heirs: husband, mother, two daughters

Result: Husband 1/4 = RM 150,000; Mother 1/6 = RM 100,000; Two daughters 2/3 split equally = RM 200,000 each. Total: RM 650,000. Awl reduces shares proportionally so the total = RM 600,000.

Example 2 — Wife, one son, one daughter

Estate (net): RM 900,000
Surviving heirs: wife, one son, one daughter

Result: Wife 1/8 = RM 112,500. Remaining RM 787,500 split between son and daughter in 2:1 ratio: son RM 525,000, daughter RM 262,500.

Frequently asked questions

Does faraid override a will (wasiat)?: For the bulk of the estate, yes. A Muslim may bequeath at most one-third of the estate by wasiat, and that one-third generally cannot go to existing Quranic heirs unless all other adult heirs consent after death. The remaining two-thirds (and the entire estate if no wasiat is made) is distributed by faraid.
What about jointly-owned property and harta sepencarian?: Harta sepencarian (jointly-acquired marital property) is settled separately by the Syariah Court before faraid is applied. The surviving spouse's share of harta sepencarian is removed from the estate first, and only the deceased's portion enters the faraid distribution.
Is this calculator a legal opinion?: No. It is a planning aid based on standard Sunni rules as commonly applied in Malaysia. Complex family situations — non-Muslim heirs, adopted children, missing persons, contested paternity, foreign assets — should be confirmed with a qualified Syariah lawyer or the Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah.
How are EPF, insurance, and Tabung Haji handled?: EPF, insurance payouts to a nominee, and Tabung Haji balances are not automatically excluded from faraid. In Malaysia, the nominee is treated as a trustee (wasi) who must distribute the proceeds according to faraid, not as an absolute beneficiary. Tabung Haji and similar agencies may release funds directly to the nominee for administrative simplicity, but the funds remain part of the faraid estate.
Do adopted children inherit by faraid?: Adopted children (anak angkat) do not inherit through faraid because Islamic law does not recognise legal adoption as creating an inheritance relationship. They may, however, receive up to one-third of the estate through wasiat or via hibah (gifts made during the deceased's lifetime).
What happens to debts the deceased owed?: All debts must be settled from the estate before any distribution. This includes unpaid zakat, mahar, kifarah, and conventional debts. If the estate cannot cover the debts, heirs are not personally liable, but they receive nothing until creditors are repaid.
Can non-Muslims inherit from a Muslim?: Direct inheritance by faraid requires the heir to also be Muslim. A non-Muslim spouse or child does not inherit by faraid, but the deceased may leave them up to one-third by wasiat. Some Malaysian practitioners also use hibah ruqba and other mechanisms to provide for non-Muslim family members.