How Hajb Works: When Heirs Are Excluded from Inheritance

What Is Hajb?

Hajb (Arabic: حجب) literally means “veiling” or “blocking.” In Islamic inheritance law, it refers to the principle that certain heirs are excluded — partially or completely — from inheritance when other, closer relatives are present. Think of it as a priority system: closer family members take precedence over more distant ones.

Two Types of Hajb

Hajb bil-Hirman (Complete Exclusion)

The heir is completely excluded and receives nothing. This happens when a closer relative “blocks” them entirely. For example, in Sunni schools, the father completely excludes the grandfather — if the father is alive, the grandfather does not inherit at all.

Hajb bil-Nuqsan (Partial Reduction)

The heir still inherits, but their share is reduced by the presence of another heir. The most common example: the spouse's share drops from 1/4 to 1/8 (for wife) or from 1/2 to 1/4 (for husband) when the deceased has children. The spouse is not excluded — just reduced.

Common Exclusion Rules

The following rules apply across most Sunni schools of law:

How Madhabs Differ on Hajb

While the basic exclusion principles are shared, the schools diverge on specific cases:

• Ja'fari (Shia): Uses a class-based systemwhere Class 1 heirs (parents, children) completely exclude Class 2 (grandparents, siblings). This creates more aggressive exclusion than in Sunni schools.
• Hanafi: The grandfather completely excludes siblings, treating the grandfather like the father for hajb purposes.
• Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali: The grandfather does not fully exclude siblings — they may share the inheritance through complex sharing formulas.

Why Hajb Matters for Your Family

Hajb rules directly affect who inherits and how much they receive. A common mistake is assuming that all living relatives will receive something — in reality, the presence of certain closer relatives may completely exclude others. For example, if your father is alive, your siblings will typically receive nothing from faraid, even if they are in financial need.

Understanding these exclusion rules helps you plan your estate more effectively. If you want to provide for relatives who are excluded by hajb, you can use your wasiyyah (charitable bequest, up to 1/3 of the estate) to direct funds to them.

Mirath's calculator automatically applies all hajb rules for your chosen madhab, so you can see exactly who inherits and who is excluded based on your family structure.