and he has children through his sons and children through his daughters, then the children of his daughters are not entitled to anything, because they do not fall under the term “children.” This is evident in the Quran, and it is likewise required by customary usage and by the Arabic language. The poet said:

Our sons are the sons of our sons, whereas our daughters’
Sons are the sons of unrelated men.

Even with regard to the ʿāqilah—that is, liability for payment of blood money—the children of daughters do not bear liability. Likewise, in guardianship for marriage, the children of daughters have no guardianship. Therefore, we say that the children of daughters are not included in an endowment made for one’s children; the evidence for this is found in both the Quran and the Arabic language.

If someone were to object: Did Allah Most High not say, “And We granted him Isaac and Jacob; each We guided. And Noah We guided before; and among his descendants were David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward those who do good; and Zachariah, John, Jesus, and Elias—each was among the righteous”? [al-Anʿam] He mentioned Jesus, peace be upon him, although Jesus was the son of a daughter. And the Prophet ﷺ said concerning al-Hasan: “This son of mine is a leader.” (1)

The reply concerning the verse is that Jesus, son of Mary—peace be upon them both—had his mother as his father; he had no father to whom he could be ascribed. Thus, the verse provides no proof that the children of daughters fall under the unrestricted term “children” or the unrestricted term “offspring.” The matter is clear.

As for the hadith, the reply is that every believer is a son of the Messenger ﷺ, though not a son by lineage. Allah Most High says: “The Prophet has a greater claim upon the believers than they have upon themselves, and his wives are their mothers.” [al-Ahzab 33:6]