﴿ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ ۚ نَصِيبًۭا مَّفْرُوضًۭا ﴾

“MEN SHALL have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, and women shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, whether it be little or much - a share ordained [by God].”

(Unto the men (of a family) belongeth a share of that which parents and near kindred leave�) [4:7]. The commentators of the Qur�an said: �Aws ibn Thabit al-Ansari died and was survived by a wife whose name was Umm Kujjah and three daughters he had from her. Two men, who were the cousins and executors of Thabit, whose names were Suwayd and �Arfajah, took all his wealth and failed to give anything to his wife or daughters. This is because in the pre-Islamic period women and children, even if they were male, did not inherit anything, for only older man did. They used to say: �Only those who fight riding horses and capture booty are entitled to inherit�. Umm Kujjah went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: �O Messenger of Allah! I am the widow of Aws ibn Malik and he has left me with daughters on whom I do not have anything to spend. Their father had left behind a considerable fortune which is now with Suwayd and �Arfajah who have failed to give me, or my daughters, anything when they are still under my care. They do not feed me or even care about them�. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, summoned them, and in their defence they said: �O Messenger of Allah! Her children cannot ride a horse, withstand any responsibility or harm an enemy!� The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �Leave for now, I shall wait for what Allah relates to me concerning their matter�, and they left. Then Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�.