Allah Commands You Regarding Your Children — The Daughter's Inheritance Among Arabs
asbab
Level: intermediate
madani-rulings
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يُوصِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِيٓ أَوۡلَٰدِكُمۡۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثۡلُ حَظِّ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِ
— النساء 11
Verse: "Allah commands you regarding your children — for the male is like the share of two females." (4:11)
Occasion (Sahih): The wife of Aws ibn Thabit came after his death — his male cousins took all the wealth leaving nothing for her and daughters. She complained to the Prophet ﷺ. Inheritance verses were then revealed.
The legislative revolution: For the first time in Arab history, women received a defined inheritance by divine text — no longer exclusively the strong males' right.
Wisdom of half the male share: The son is obligated for mahr and maintenance — "male gets double female share" combined with "women have rights similar to obligations" = complete balanced budget, not injustice.
Source: Tirmidhi (3015) — Hasan; Al-Wahidi; Ibn Kathir (2/219)
Question: What incident was the context for the revelation of inheritance verses in An-Nisa?
Answer: Aws ibn Thabit's wife complained that his male cousins took all the inheritance — the verses were revealed to establish women's and daughters' shares by divine text beyond dispute.