Faraid is the Islamic law of inheritance that governs how a deceased Muslim's estate is distributed in Malaysia. It prescribes fixed shares for heirs based on the Quran and Sunnah. Understanding Faraid is essential for Malaysian Muslims' estate planning.
Primary Faraid Heirs and Their Shares
| Heir | Share (no other heirs) | Share (with other heirs) |
|---|---|---|
| Husband (surviving wife dies) | 1/2 | 1/4 (if children exist) |
| Wife (surviving husband dies) | 1/4 | 1/8 (if children exist) |
| Daughter (only child) | 1/2 | 2/3 (two+ daughters) |
| Son | Residuary (asabah) | 2x daughter share |
| Father | 1/6 (if son exists) | 1/6 |
| Mother | 1/3 (no children) | 1/6 (if children exist) |
Assets Subject to Faraid
Faraid applies to assets that are part of the deceased's estate at death: bank accounts, property, vehicles, investments, business interests. It does NOT apply to: EPF (goes to nominated beneficiary), life insurance with nomination (goes to nominee), hibah assets (already transferred during life), joint tenancy property (goes to survivor by right of survivorship).
Faraid and Non-Muslim Spouses
A Muslim married to a non-Muslim (a valid civil marriage in some situations): the non-Muslim spouse receives nothing under Faraid. Without a hibah or trust created during the Muslim's lifetime, the non-Muslim spouse could receive zero from the estate despite being the life partner.
How to Calculate Your Faraid Distribution
Use our โ๏ธ Estate Distribution Calculator to enter your family composition and see the exact Faraid shares for all heirs.
Our editorial team specialises in Malaysian personal finance โ covering loans, taxation, insurance, EPF, and Islamic finance. Every article is fact-checked against Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), LHDN, and major Malaysian bank publications. We reference our calculators (which use industry-standard formulas) to ensure consistency between our written content and tools. Learn more about our methodology โ