not truly poor, since she has been made self-sufficient by her husband who supports her. But if she is married to a poor man, zakah is lawful for her, and lawful for her husband as well, because the qualifying description applies to her. If she is married to a wealthy man but he is among the most miserly of people, then she may be given zakah, because she is poor and has not been made self-sufficient by her husband. She therefore falls under the saying of Allah, Most High: “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy...”

If someone were to ask: Why do you not tell her, “Demand your maintenance from your husband and take him to court?”

We would say: We do not tell her to do so, because it may lead to problems. It could result in him divorcing her, which would harm her; and relieving her need in order to avert this harm is undoubtedly among the purposes brought by the Shariah.

AND NOT TO ONE’S DESCENDANTS OR ASCENDANTS ...

His statement, “nor to one’s descendants or ascendants.”

One’s descendants are those for whom he is an ascendant.

One’s ascendants are those for whom he is a descendant.

Thus, ascendants are fathers and mothers, no matter how far back the line extends.

Descendants are sons and daughters, no matter how far down the line extends, whether they are heirs or not.

Accordingly, one may not give one’s zakah to one’s grandmother, whether on one’s father’s side or one’s mother’s side; nor to one’s daughter, one’s son’s daughter, or one’s daughter’s daughter, because all of these are ascendants or descendants. The author, may Allah have mercy on him, did not qualify ascendants and descendants.

That is, he did not say, “to his heir among his descendants,” or “to his heir among his ascendants.” Thus, this includes both heirs and non-heirs, because maintenance is obligatory for ascendants and descendants in every