Faraid Inheritance Calculator Singapore (2026)

Faraid is the Islamic law of inheritance, derived primarily from verses 11, 12, and 176 of Surah An-Nisa (Chapter 4) of the Quran. It prescribes fixed fractional shares for specified heirs — spouse, parents, children, and siblings — and allocates any residue to the closest male agnate (asabah). Under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), Singapore Muslims must distribute at least two-thirds of their estate according to faraid; only one-third may be allocated by wasiat (will).

When a Muslim dies in Singapore, the Syariah Court issues a Sijil Faraid (Inheritance Certificate) identifying the legal heirs and their respective shares under faraid. The certificate is then used by the family or executor to distribute estate assets via the Family Justice Courts probate process. The Syariah Court applies the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence by default, which is the dominant madhhab in Singapore, though the court can recognise other Sunni schools where appropriate.

The Sijil Faraid is an official certificate issued by the Singapore Syariah Court that lists every legal heir of a deceased Muslim and the exact fractional share each is entitled to under faraid. The application is made online via the Syariah Court website by the family or appointed administrator, with supporting documents including the death certificate, marriage certificate, and birth certificates of children. Processing typically takes 4–6 weeks, and the certificate is required by banks, CPF, and the Family Justice Courts before estate assets can be distributed.

Wasiat is a Muslim will, restricted to a maximum of one-third of the estate. The remaining two-thirds (or more if no wasiat exists) is distributed strictly according to faraid — the Quranic fixed shares. The one-third wasiat allowance is intended for bequests to non-heirs (charities, distant relatives, friends) or to provide additional support to heirs in genuine need. Importantly, wasiat to a legal heir is not valid unless the other heirs consent, since faraid already entitles them to their fixed share.

Under classical Sunni jurisprudence applied by the Singapore Syariah Court, a non-Muslim cannot inherit from a Muslim deceased under faraid, and vice versa. This is the position in the Shafi'i school followed by MUIS. However, a Muslim can leave up to one-third of their estate via wasiat to a non-Muslim recipient, including a non-Muslim parent, child, or spouse. Some Muslim families also use lifetime gifts (hibah) or jointly-owned property (with rights of survivorship) to provide for non-Muslim family members without relying on inheritance.

No — bequests exceeding one-third of the estate, or any bequest to an existing legal heir under faraid, are not valid unless the other heirs unanimously consent after the death. This rule is based on a well-known hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) and is strictly enforced by the Singapore Syariah Court. If you wish to provide extra support to a particular heir (e.g., a disabled child), the cleaner approach is to transfer assets during your lifetime via hibah or to nominate them on accounts that fall outside the estate (e.g., CPF nominations, though even these are now subject to faraid by default unless other arrangements are made).

Classical Islamic jurisprudence requires the estate to be settled in four stages, in this order: (1) funeral and burial expenses; (2) settlement of all debts owed by the deceased; (3) execution of any valid wasiat (bequest), capped at one-third of what remains after debts; and (4) distribution of the residue to Quranic heirs under faraid. This order is derived from Quran 4:11–12, which states that shares are calculated "after any bequest he [may have] made or any debt." Only the final stage falls under the Sijil Faraid; the earlier stages are administered through the Family Justice Courts probate process.

Awl is the proportional reduction that applies when the sum of the Quranic fixed shares exceeds the whole estate. For example, if the heirs are a husband (1/2), two daughters (2/3), a father (1/6), and a mother (1/6), the fixed shares sum to 1/2 + 2/3 + 1/6 + 1/6 = 9/6 — more than the estate. Under awl, the denominator is raised so each heir receives a proportional share of the actual estate. The Quranic ratios between heirs are preserved; only the absolute amounts shrink. The Singapore Syariah Court applies awl automatically when issuing the Sijil Faraid in such cases.

When both sons and daughters survive the deceased, daughters no longer take their fixed share of 1/2 (one daughter) or 2/3 (two or more). Instead, they become residuary heirs alongside their brothers under the principle of asabah-bil-ghayr ("residuary through another"). The residue — what remains after the spouse and parents take their fixed shares — is divided so each son receives twice the share of each daughter, in line with Quran 4:11. The fixed-share rules for daughters only apply when there are no surviving sons.