5755 - وَ كَتَبَ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ فِيمَا كَتَبَ مِنْ جَوَابِ مَسَائِلِهِ: "عِلَّةُ إِعْطَاءِ اَلنِّسَاءِ نِصْفَ مَا يُعْطَى اَلرِّجَالَ مِنَ اَلْمِيرَاثِ لِأَنَّ اَلْمَرْأَةَ إِذَا تَزَوَّجَتْ أَخَذَتْ وَ اَلرَّجُلُ يُعْطِي فَلِذَلِكَ وُفِّرَ عَلَى اَلرِّجَالِ". وَ عِلَّةٌ أُخْرَى فِي إِعْطَاءِ الذَّكَرِ مِثْلَيْ مَا تُعْطَى الْأُنْثَى لِأَنَّ الْأُنْثَى فِي عِيَالِ الذَّكَرِ إِنِ احْتَاجَتْ وَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَعُولَهَا وَ عَلَيْهِ نَفَقَتُهَا وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تَعُولَ الرَّجُلَ وَ لَا تُؤْخَذُ بِنَفَقَتِهِ إِنِ احْتَاجَ فَوُفِّرَ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ لِذَلِكَ وَ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّساءِ بِما فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلى بَعْضٍ وَ بِما أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوالِهِمْ
Hadith.5755 - Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha 
wrote to Muhammad ibn Sinan in response to his questions:
"The reason women are given half of what men receive from inheritance is because when a woman marries, she receives, whereas a man gives. Therefore, more has been allocated to men."
Imam continued: "Another reason for giving the male twice as much as the female is that the female is under the care of the male if she is in need, and it is his responsibility to support her and provide for her. However, a woman is not required to support a man, nor is she responsible for his expenses if he is in need. Therefore, more has been allocated to the man for this reason. This is in accordance with the saying of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic:
'Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah (swt) has given one more (strength) than the other and because they spend from their wealth.'" (Surah An-Nisa 4:34).
