Qabeesah bin Dhuwaiyb narrates: A grandmother came to the service of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and demanded her share of inheritance. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is nothing (mentioned) about you in the Book of Allah, and I do not know of anything about you in the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger either. Go back, I will inquire about this from the people. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) inquired about this from the people, so Sayyiduna Mugheerah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he gave her (i.e., the grandmother or maternal grandmother) one-sixth. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Was there anyone else with you? Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Maslamah Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and narrated the same as Sayyiduna Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) had narrated, so Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) made the one-sixth obligatory for her (the grandmother or maternal grandmother).

Then another grandmother (or maternal grandmother) came to Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate and demanded her share of inheritance. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is no ruling for you in the Book of Allah. There is only one decision regarding you. I do not want to increase the shares of the fixed heirs. This is one-sixth. If both of you (i.e., the paternal and maternal grandmothers) are together, then it will be divided between you both, and if only one of you is present, then she will receive it.