Verse 4:12

[leonardo]

Salaam all!

A very specific question about 4:12: What does the last word here imply? وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ

It means 'or a woman'? I never see this being mentioned in any translation. If man to be inherited is a kalala or a woman? Leave aside the meaning of kalala, why don't the translators ever mention the last part? Have I missed something?


This is my first post, and I must say this place seems amazing because you discuss things at a depth that I haven't seen elsewhere. I have my own rather simple solution to the inheritance calculation problem that I want to share afterwards.

[Peachy]

This is probably the only part of the Qur'an that makes my head spin off and roll down the hill. I get so caught up in the numbers an fractions and blaarrrgghhh..

4:11-12 makes my peachy little brain hurt. 

Insha'Allah someone can answer your post.

[Onur]

Hi Leonardo,

This is a tricky issue. What translators do is they take the word "woman" and (mentally) place it in the beginning of the expression. Speaking grammatically, the subject of the expression becomes " a man or a woman  "

In other words, the bifurcated subject becomes a compound subject by means of a mental operation.

Another way to look at is: "If a man is inherited as/by kalalati or a woman [is inherited in the same way]  and [either of them] has a brother ...."
What is in the paranthesis is not in the actual text but translators take them as implied.

Kalalati in 4:12 is a verbal noun in the accusative form. Not many translators/interpreters ponder why it is in the accusative. In my view, the verb y-r-t-h should be read as an active verb(yurithu-cause someone to inherit) and the kalalati should become its direct object- hence accusative.

In my view, moreover, the correct translation is: "If a man or a woman causes kalalati[collateral heirs and dependents] to inherit and has a brother..... "

In my view, kalalati refers to collateral heirs, that is, heirs other than parent, spouse and children. These heirs encompass the person from the sides or surround him. If you consult an etymological dictionary,http://web.archive.org/web/20110526023232/http://www.freeweb.hu/etymological/AEDweb.htm, kalala has something to do with surrounding in Semitic languages.

Also, the Quran uses the root k-l-l in 16:76 to refer to someone who is dependent or who is a burden. So, all dependents of the deceased- not necessarily family members- can be included in the kalala category.  These are dependents who surround the person and become a burden on him, kalalati.

Finally, I think the Quran has only fixed the shares of the siblings among the kalala. For the rest of the kalala, the community/courts can assign appropriate shares taking into account need/dependency and so on.

I hope this helps. Please let me know what you think.

[Noon waalqalami]

Salaam all!

A very specific question about 4:12: What does the last word here imply? وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ

It means 'or a woman'? I never see this being mentioned in any translation. If man to be inherited is a kalala or a woman? Leave aside the meaning of kalala, why don't the translators ever mention the last part? Have I missed something?

Peace and welcome leonardo, translators are clueless on inheritance topic; lady is more formal address.

4:12 ... وان and if كان he is رجل man/gentleman ىورث inherited كلاله kalalah  او or امراه woman/lady...
4:128 وان and if امراه lady خافت fears من from بعلها husband hers
27:23 انى that I وجدت found امراه lady تملكهم rules them (i.e. queen)

[Mazhar]

Salaam all!

A very specific question about 4:12: What does the last word here imply? وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ

It means 'or a woman'? I never see this being mentioned in any translation. If man to be inherited is a kalala or a woman? Leave aside the meaning of kalala, why don't the translators ever mention the last part? Have I missed something?


This is my first post, and I must say this place seems amazing because you discuss things at a depth that I haven't seen elsewhere. I have my own rather simple solution to the inheritance calculation problem that I want to share afterwards.

Economy of words, that is, succintness is the beauty of text of Qur'aan and Arabic language without the cost of ambiguity.

Deficient Verb Kana has always its Subject Noun in Nominative case. Verb is Masculine and its Subject Noun is Rajalun. أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ is distanced away after the predicate of Kana. Thereby, few words like feminine verbs are saved merely by the nominative case of امْرَأَةٌ helping attributing to it all that is attributed to رَجُلٌ.

However, if it were a man all by himself-spouseless and a singular parent; or likewise there is such a woman;

كَلَالَةً is circumstantial clause. It is a verbal noun that signifies a state without time reference.

Translation based on grammatical parsing and segmentation of sentences 4:12

Daughter not Son is the central theme of Inheritance

[l-nuni]

Kalalati in 4:12 is a verbal noun in the accusative form. Not many translators/interpreters ponder why it is in the accusative. In my view, the verb y-r-t-h should be read as an active verb(yurithu-cause someone to inherit) and the kalalati should become its direct object- hence accusative.

In my view, moreover, the correct translation is: "If a man or a woman causes kalalati[collateral heirs and dependents] to inherit and has a brother..... "

In my view, kalalati refers to collateral heirs, that is, heirs other than parent, spouse and children. These heirs encompass the person from the sides or surround him.

peace, see below book and review

https://archive.org/details/Book_1653

Full text of "( Islamic History And Civilization) Pavel Pavlovitch The Formation Of The Islamic Understanding Of Kalāla In The Second Century AH ( 718– 816 CE) Brill Academic Publishers ( 2015)" (archive.org)


https://www.google.com/books/edition/Qur_anic_Term_Kalala/taQxEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

The Qur'anic Term Kalala: Studies in Arabic Language and Poetry, Hadit, Tafsir, and Fiqh: Notes on the Origins of Islamic Law (JAIS Monographs EUP) 1st Edition by Agostino Cilardo (Author)



Surely, a father protects more wrathfully his offspring,
while a patron l-kalālati/of collaterals does not get angry

ومولى الكلالة لا يغضب



I did not inherit ancestral glory as a collateral,

ولم أرث المجد التليد كلالة



the main issue is the nature of kalala?

if spouse unsolvable e.g., 1/4 wife 1/6 sister 7/12 remainder?

while parents do inherit together with siblings per verse 4:11

[Mazhar]

Salaam all!

A very specific question about 4:12: What does the last word here imply? وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ

It means 'or a woman'? I never see this being mentioned in any translation. If man to be inherited is a kalala or a woman? Leave aside the meaning of kalala, why don't the translators ever mention the last part? Have I missed something?


This is my first post, and I must say this place seems amazing because you discuss things at a depth that I haven't seen elsewhere. I have my own rather simple solution to the inheritance calculation problem that I want to share afterwards.

It is a compound sentence by conjunction particle.

وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٚ يُورَثُ كَلَٟلَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَ ةٚ



:  Verbal Noun: Indefinite; accusative. It is the circumstantial clause; indicates the spouseless state in which a man or a woman is inherited.

أَوِ ٱمْرَأَ ةٚ : It is conjunct to: رَجُلٚ  meaning "or it was a woman in the state mentioned about a man".


:

65. It is intriguing that people have been debating about this verbal noun as to its meanings and peculiarities of the person who is in such state-circumstance. This man or woman cannot be he/she who are already mentioned. He is not a person whose parents, both mother and father are alive along with his/her spouse. It refers to that state of a person when the spouse is already dead or divorced and has single parent, either mother or father, surviving at the time of his death. In addition to this peculiar situation, such man may or may not have a single surviving son at the time of his death. Here in this Ayah 4:12 it is evident that this spouseless man or woman does have a surviving son to inherit from the inheritance because when he/she died by leaving a bereaved son, the share of siblings will be different as mentioned later in 4:176


66. The aforesaid instructions and Mandatory Allocation of parts of inheritance amongst various beneficiaries by Allah the Exalted cover all the situations that might be the ground realities at the time of death of a Man or a Woman. However, one situation is left whereby one will have to resort to other deductive method to infer the apportioned share. The people of the days of revelation fully acknowledged and understood the injunctions about inheritance. They did not have an iota of confusion. This fact is evident because about the only situation which was not covered in the aforementioned injunctions in Ayah 4:11 and 4:12 people requested the Elevated Messenger of Allah the Exalted to give them the confirmation-strengthened verdict at his own about that situation. That situation is regards a person who is bachelor or single without spouse, has a singular alive parent, either Mother or Father, and without a son, which also caters for the situation when a minor dies having right on the inheritance of his deceased parent.

https://haqeeqat.pk/Economics-Inheritance.htm

إعراب القرآن للدعاس — قاسم - حميدان - دعاس
✕
﴿۞ وَلَكُمۡ نِصۡفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جُكُمۡ إِن لَّمۡ یَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدࣱۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدࣱ فَلَكُمُ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡنَۚ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِیَّةࣲ یُوصِینَ بِهَاۤ أَوۡ دَیۡنࣲۚ وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡتُمۡ إِن لَّمۡ یَكُن لَّكُمۡ وَلَدࣱۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ وَلَدࣱ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكۡتُمۚ مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِیَّةࣲ تُوصُونَ بِهَاۤ أَوۡ دَیۡنࣲۗ وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلࣱ یُورَثُ كَلَـٰلَةً أَوِ ٱمۡرَأَةࣱ وَلَهُۥۤ أَخٌ أَوۡ أُخۡتࣱ فَلِكُلِّ وَ ٰ⁠حِدࣲ مِّنۡهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُۚ فَإِن كَانُوۤا۟ أَكۡثَرَ مِن ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ فَهُمۡ شُرَكَاۤءُ فِی ٱلثُّلُثِۚ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ وَصِیَّةࣲ یُوصَىٰ بِهَاۤ أَوۡ دَیۡنٍ غَیۡرَ مُضَاۤرࣲّۚ وَصِیَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمٌ حَلِیمࣱ﴾ [النساء ١٢]
﴿وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ ما تَرَكَ أَزْواجُكُمْ﴾ الجار والمجرور متعلقان بمحذوف خبر المبتدأ نصف واسم الموصول ما في محل جر بالإضافة، والجملة بعده ترك أزواجكم صلته. ﴿إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ﴾
تقدم إعرابها في الآية السابقة وجواب إن الشرطية محذوف دل عليه ما قبله ﴿فَإِنْ كانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ﴾ مثل إعراب إن كان له ولد في الآية السابقة ﴿فَلَكُمُ الرُّبُعُ﴾ الفاء رابطة لجواب الشرط والجار والمجرور متعلقان بمحذوف خبر المبتدأ الربع والجملة في محل جزم جواب الشرط ﴿مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ﴾ مثل قوله تعالى ﴿مِمَّا تَرَكَ﴾ في الآية السابقة ونون النسوة فاعل ﴿مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِينَ بِها أَوْ دَيْنٍ﴾ تقدم إعراب ما يشبهها في الآية السابقة، ﴿وَلَهُنَّ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ﴾ إلى قوله تعالى ﴿تُوصُونَ بِها أَوْ دَيْنٍ﴾ إعرابها مثل ﴿وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ ما تَرَكَ﴾ ... ﴿أَوْ دَيْنٍ﴾ ﴿وَإِنْ كانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلالَةً﴾ إن شرطية وكان واسمها وجملة يورث خبرها كلالة حال أو مفعول لأجله ويجوز إعراب كان تامة والجملة صفة ﴿أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ﴾ عطف على رجل ﴿وَلَهُ أَخٌ﴾ الجار والمجرور متعلقان بمحذوف خبر وأخ مبتدأ ﴿أَوْ أُخْتٌ﴾ عطف على أخ والجملة حالية. ﴿فَلِكُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ﴾
لكل متعلقان بمحذوف خبر المبتدأ السدس منهما متعلقان بمحذوف صفة واحد والجملة في محل جزم جواب الشرط. ﴿فَإِنْ كانُوا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذلِكَ﴾ كان واسمها وخبرها والجار والمجرور متعلقان بأكثر والجملة استئنافية ﴿فَهُمْ شُرَكاءُ فِي الثُّلُثِ﴾ الجملة الاسمية في محل جزم جواب الشرط والجار والمجرور متعلقان بشركاء ﴿مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصى بِها أَوْ دَيْنٍ﴾ تقدم إعرابها ويوصي مضارع مبني للمجهول ﴿غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ﴾ غير حال من الضمير المستتر في يوصى مضار مضاف إليه ﴿وَصِيَّةً مِنَ اللَّهِ﴾ مفعول مطلق والجار والمجرور متعلقان بمحذوف صفة لوصية، ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ﴾ مبتدأ وخبراه والجملة استئنافية.

https://tafsir.app/iraab-daas/4/12

[l-nuni]

This man or woman cannot be he/she who are already mentioned. He is not a person whose parents, both mother and father are alive along with his/her spouse. It refers to that state of a person when the spouse is already dead or divorced and has single parent, either mother or father, surviving at the time of his death. In addition to this peculiar situation, such man may or may not have a single surviving son at the time of his death. Here in this Ayah 4:12 it is evident that this spouseless man or woman does have a surviving son to inherit from the inheritance because when he/she died by leaving a bereaved son, the share of siblings will be different as mentioned later in 4:176

need to prove "spouseless" no record of it, wide disagreement on kalala

6:100  and attribute they to Him banīna/sons wabanātin/and daughters
6:101  how being to Him walad/son?

translating as "son" does not rule out having daughters? 53:19 al-lāta/the goddess



walad (male/female) can be an appointed legatee, see verbatim 12:21 28:9

to better understand the issue try case, a man suddenly died leaving heirs:

three daughters ?
two full sisters ?
single parent ?

peace

[l-nuni]

peace,

after researching and looking at all combinations kalala means fatherless
else contradicts impossible to allocate father and siblings (two unknowns)

if offspring 4:12 and if kāna (is) man inherited kalala (fatherless) or woman

1/3 mother (4:11), 1/6 sibling, 1/2 offspring (remainder)

1/6 mother (if 3+ siblings, at least one male) 4:11,
1/4 husband,
1/3 siblings,
1/4 offspring (remainder)


if no offspring 4:176 concerning al-kalala (the fatherless)

1/3 mother 4:11,
1/3 husband (1/2 * 2/3 what left) 4:12,
1/3 siblings (remainder)

1/6 mother (if 3+ siblings, at least one male) 4:11,
1/4 wife 4:12,
7/12 siblings (remainder)