sin just as water extinguishes fire.” (1) The purification attained through obligatory charity is likewise attained through voluntary charity. This was the view favored by al-Shawkani and a group of scholars, based on the general wording of the hadith.

From this we learn that the Banu Hashim fall into two categories:

The first: those for whom neither voluntary charity nor obligatory zakah is lawful. This consists of only one person: Muhammad ibn Abdullah, peace and blessings be upon him. He does not accept either obligatory or voluntary charity.

The second: the rest of the Banu Hashim. They may accept voluntary charity, but they do not accept obligatory charity.

And a Muttalibi...

His statement: “and a Muttalibi.”

The Muttalibis are those descended from al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalib was the brother of Hashim; their father was Abd Manaf, who had four sons: Hashim, al-Muttalib, Nawfal, and Abd Shams.

“The Banu al-Muttalib and the Banu Hashim are one and the same,” (2) as he, peace and blessings be upon him, said—that is, in mutual support. Thus, when Quraysh besieged the Banu Hashim, the Banu al-Muttalib joined them. The account of the siege in the valley is well known in historical works. For this reason, when some men of the Banu Abd Shams objected to his giving the Banu al-Muttalib a share of the khums while not giving them any, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The Banu al-Muttalib and the Banu Hashim are one and the same.”