Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/52)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

people customarily regard as a relative counts as a relative, without defining it by any fixed limit. However, the first view is the closest of these opinions: namely, that they are those descended from his third forefather. Next is the view that they are those who share with him the first ancestor to whom they trace their lineage. As for the final view, it is weak.

It is understood from our statement that it includes these people that it does not include relatives through one’s mother. Thus, his maternal grandfather, maternal uncle, his mother’s paternal uncle, her grandfather, and her mother are not included. The reason is that the Messenger did not give anything to his maternal uncles from Banu Zuhrah; he did not include them in His saying, “and for near relatives.”

Some scholars said: If it was his customary practice to maintain ties with his maternal relatives, they are included in the term “relatives,” since his being accustomed to maintaining ties with them indicates that he intended them to benefit from this endowment. This is a strong view. Strangely, some scholars held the opposite view. They said: If it was his customary practice to maintain ties with his maternal relatives, they are not included, because singling them out for such ties outside the endowment indicates that he did not wish them to benefit from this endowment in any way. However, the preceding view is closer to what is correct: if it was his customary practice to maintain ties with his maternal relatives, they are included in the endowment which he stated was for his relatives.

His statement, “and the members of his household,” includes both males and females among his children, his father’s children, his grandfather’s children, and his paternal great-grandfather’s children.

Does it include wives?

According to the established position of the school, they are not included, because the members of his household are exactly like his relatives. The correct view is that his wives, provided he has not divorced them, are included among the members of his household; there is no doubt about this, due to Allah’s saying concerning the wives of the Prophet:

تعارف الناس عليه أنه قريب فهو قريب ولا نحدده بحدٍّ، لكن القول الأول هو أقرب الأقوال: أنهم من كانوا من ذرية أبيه الثالث، ويليه قول من قال: إنهم من يجتمعون به في أول جد ينتسبون إليه، أما القول الأخير فهو ضعيف. وفهم من قولنا: إنه يشمل هؤلاء، أنه لا يشمل الأقارب من جهة أمه، فلا يدخل في ذلك أبو أمه، ولا أخو أمه، ولا عمها، ولا جدها، ولا أمها؛ ووجه ذلك أن الرسول ﷺ لم يعط أخواله من بني زُهْرَة، فلم يدخلهم في قوله: ﴿وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى﴾. وقال بعض أهل العلم: إذا كان من عادته أنه يصل قرابة أمه دخلوا في لفظ القرابة؛ لأن كونه قد اعتاد أن يصلهم يدل على أنه أراد أن ينتفعوا بهذا الوقف، وهذا قول قوي، والعجيب أن بعض العلماء قال بعكسه، قال: إذا كان من عادته أنه يصل أقارب أمه فإنهم لا يدخلون؛ لأن تخصيصهم بصلة خارج الوقف يدل على أنه لا يريد أن ينتفعوا من هذا الوقف بشيء، لكن القول الذي قبله أقرب إلى الصواب، أنه إذا كان من عادته أنه يصل أقارب أمه دخلوا في الوقف الذي قال: إنه على أقاربه. وقوله: «وأهل بيته» يشمل الذكر والأنثى من أولاده، وأولاد أبيه، وأولاد جده، وأولاد جد أبيه. وهل يشمل الزوجات؟ المذهب أنهن لا يدخلن؛ لأن أهل بيته مثل القرابة تماماً، والصحيح أن زوجاته إذا لم يطلقهن يدخلن في أهل بيته، ولا شك في هذا، لقوله تعالى في نساء النبي ﷺ: ﴿إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ