>If a Muslim man dies, distribution of remaining estates among his heirs according to Sharia is one of the duties to be performed. But the issue of inheritance share has always been a controversial matter.
As per the suggestion of the Quran (4:11), ‘The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females.’ If one goes by the verse, then it would mean that the daughters inherit half that of their brothers. But before going strictly according to the verse, one must realise that Prophet Mohammad got the knowledge from the God in 7th century in the Arabian peninsula, modern-day Saudi Arabia.
At that time, the Arabian men were alone responsible for the big families. Women didn’t work to provide financial assistance to the family and so did not share same level of responsibility, and therefore, inherited less.
The Islamic law must accommodate itself according to the changing circumstances. Hence the verse does not stand in tune with the present-day situation. In countries like Egypt, the women workforce is equivalent to men. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, women too go out for work. Read More...