Suggestion of one Muslim:

From: H786N (h786n@aol.com)
Subject: Quranic inheritance 
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Date: 1998/06/19 
 
The error pointed out regarding the inheritance distribution is not accurate. 
The Quranic verse verse 4:12 clearly says that the wife will get 1/8 of what
remains...... after payment of ANY LEGACY and DEBTS. In other words if there be
three daughters and both parents alive, then the wife will not get any thing
after distribution of the legacy, just as many other relatives do not get
anything if there are other heirs alive.  The requirements for others, that is
parents and children applies only after the debts are paid. I hope you will
clarify this point.
Reference: The the newsgroup archives.

My response on the newsgroup was:

From: Jochen Katz (jkatz@math.gatech.edu)
Subject: Re: Quranic inheritance 
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Date: 1998/06/20 
 

In article <6mcam1$qqg$1@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, 
h786n@aol.com (H786N) writes:

} The error pointed out regarding the inheritance distribution is not accurate. 
} The Quranic verse verse 4:12 clearly says that the wife will get 1/8 of what
} remains...... after payment of ANY LEGACY and DEBTS. In other words if there be
} three daughters and both parents alive, then the wife will not get any thing
} after distribution of the legacy, just as many other relatives do not get
} anything if there are other heirs alive.  The requirements for others, that is
} parents and children applies only after the debts are paid. I hope you will
} clarify this point.

It wasn't very clear, but I assume that you were talking about
the problem presented at the Qur'an Contradictions web page

  http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/i001.html

You are the first to suggest that the wife should go empty.
I added your suggestion to the other responses. 

Warm regards,

Jochen Katz


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