From Interpretative Ambiguity to Jurisprudential Disagreement: Examining the Impact of Definitional Challenges of Kalala on the Islamic Inheritance System

Shoaib, Meisam

doi:10.22091/ptt.2025.12789.2451

From Interpretative Ambiguity to Jurisprudential Disagreement: Examining the Impact of Definitional Challenges of Kalala on the Islamic Inheritance System

Document Type : Academicm and Research

Author

Meisam Shoaib

Ferdowsi University Mashhad

10.22091/ptt.2025.12789.2451

Abstract

The concept of "Kalala" in Islamic inheritance law presents a complex Quranic challenge due to its interpretative and jurisprudential intricacies, significantly shaping inheritance rulings. This article adopts a descriptive-analytical and comparative method, drawing on Shia and Sunni sources to explore this issue. Linguistically, Kalala carries meanings like encompassing, weakness, or distance, while jurisprudentially, it refers to a deceased person without children or parents, marginal heirs, or siblings (notably in the Imami perspective). These ambiguities stem from interpreting Quranic verses, such as verse 12 of Surah An-Nisa (addressing maternal siblings with equal shares) and verse 176 (concerning full or paternal siblings, where males receive double the females’ share), reinforced by Prophetic traditions, companions’ practices, and Imams’ narrations. Such differences have sparked jurisprudential disputes across Islamic schools: Imami jurisprudence places the grandfather alongside siblings, while Sunni views position him as an excluder; Imamis reject siblings inheriting with daughters, unlike Sunnis; Imamis oppose *awl* (share increase) and support *radd* (residue redistribution), differing from some Sunni stances. Rooted in interpretative and methodological variances, these divergences have positioned Kalala as a domain for *ijtihad* (independent reasoning), fostering distinct legal frameworks and deeply influencing Islamic inheritance regulations.

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