Muhammad the (Non) Mathematician
Divinely Inspired Inheritance Laws Guaranteed to Cause Strife?
Anyone who has ever been involved in the distribution of an inheritance will know how emotionally charged the whole experience can be, especially when some family members feel that they have been neglected and did not get what they felt they deserved from the estate.
Amazingly, the Qur’an encourages exactly this kind of strife and discontent by laying down inheritance promises that simply cannot be kept. The reason why they cannot be kept is nothing short of jaw-dropping: The Qur’an makes promises to family members that add up to more than 100% of the available estate.
This is how the Qur’an directs believers to divide estates: “Allah (thus) directs you as regards your Children’s (Inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females: if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is a half. For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased Left brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. The distribution in all cases is after the payment of legacies and debts. Ye know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-knowing, Al-wise. In what your wives leave, your share is a half, if they leave no child; but if they leave a child, ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in question, has left neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third; after payment of legacies and debts; so that no loss is caused (to any one). Thus is it ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-knowing, Most Forbearing.” (Qur’an 4:11-12).
A little further down in the same chapter we find the following: “They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no child, she shall have half the inheritance: If (such a deceased was) a woman, who left no child, Her brother takes her inheritance: If there are two sisters, they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance (between them): if there are brothers and sisters, (they share), the male having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His law), lest ye err. And Allah hath knowledge of all things.” (Qur’an 4:176)
Despite the claim that these verses make things clear, we will soon find that exactly the opposite is true. Let us now apply Allah’s instructions to an estate: A Muslim husband leaves behind a wife, three daughters and both his parents. According to the Qur’an they should receive the following:
Wife 1/8. (In what ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they get an eighth)
Two daughters 2/3 (If only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance)
Parents 1/6 each (For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children)
Keep in mind, there is no statement of priority in these texts (or anywhere else in the Qur’an for that matter). In other words, there is no indication of who is first in line. Family members are simply promised certain portions of the estate. The problem is, however, that these portions cannot be paid from the estate because they add up to more than the total value of the estate. Let’s do the math:
Wife 1/8 = 3/24
Daughters 2/3 = 16/24
Father 1/6 = 4/24
Mother 1/6 = 4/24
Total = 27/24 (or 112.5%.)
Whatever else Muhammad was, he was certainly no mathematician, and he makes promises to family members of deceased Muslims that simply cannot be kept in the real world.
Attempts are made in the hadith collections to smooth over this glaring error (e.g., through the so-called Law of Usbah.) At issue is not, however, how subsequent Muslim tradition deals with this error but the fact that it should not be in a supposedly perfect book (with Allah as the author no less) in the first place.
For a much fuller discussion of Islam’s truth-claims, please see my book ‘Questioning Islam - Tough Question and Honest Answers About the Muslim Religion’
Kind regards,
Peter
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