How is the estate of a deceased woman who left behind four sons and three daughters distributed, given that two of her children (a son and a daughter) died during her lifetime? Is the inheritance divided only among the living heirs (11 shares), or does the mandatory bequest apply, making the division 14 shares to include the deceased children?

The inheritance is to be divided among the heirs who are alive at the time of the woman's death. There is no share for any of her children or grandchildren who died before her. It is not permissible, according to Islamic law, to divide the inheritance by the law of the compulsory bequest (al-wasiyya al-wājiba) practiced in some countries. This law is not attributed to the four Madhhabs (schools of thought) or to any of the early scholars.