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Ask a Lawyer·Islamic Inheritance / Faraid

Islamic Inheritance / FaraidAnswered

What share does a widow inherit under Sharia inheritance in the UAE?

Asked by Anonymous·Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
My husband recently died and I want to understand what portion of his estate I am entitled to as his wife under Islamic law.

This answer is AI-generated and editorially reviewed. It is general legal information, not legal advice — verify anything you act on with a licensed UAE lawyer. How LEXAI uses AI

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LEXAI

Editorially reviewed by LEXAI

Jun 26, 2026
Under Sharia (faraid), a surviving wife is a fixed-share heir, and her portion depends mainly on whether the deceased left children. A widow's share is smaller when there are surviving children and larger when there are none, with the remainder passing to other entitled heirs such as children, parents, or other relatives according to their own fixed shares. The estate is settled only after the deceased's debts and any valid bequests are handled. In the UAE, the personal status (Sharia) court calculates the precise share based on the full list of surviving heirs and issues a ruling that becomes the legal heir certificate, which banks and the land department then rely on. Because the exact fraction varies with the surviving family combination, the figure for your specific case should be confirmed by the court rather than assumed. You can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to have your entitlement calculated and the certificate obtained.
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