Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/500)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

is a chief,” (1) thus calling him a son.

“Whether he is barred by an insolvent heir or not; and [maintenance is due] to everyone who would inherit from him by a prescribed share or as a residuary, but not by kinship alone, apart from his direct ascendants and descendants—whether the other person actually inherits from him, such as a brother, or does not, such as a paternal aunt or a freed slave—in a reasonable manner, provided that the person entitled to maintenance is poor and unable to earn a living, …”

His statement, “whether he is barred by an insolvent heir or not”: the pronoun in “barred” refers to the provider. That is, reciprocal inheritance is not a condition. Thus, even if the provider is barred by an insolvent heir, maintenance remains obligatory.

For example, if a man has a poor father and a poor grandfather, he must support his father because he is his son and heir. He must also support his grandfather, even though in this case he does not inherit from him.

His statement, “or not,” means: or if he is not barred by an insolvent heir. For example, a man has an enslaved father and a free grandfather. This father does not bar the grandson; rather, the grandson inherits, because an enslaved father does not inherit, and one barred due to a disqualifying attribute does not bar others. Accordingly, he must support his grandfather.

Likewise, if it is assumed that he has a grandfather but no father, he must support him, because he is not barred.

His statement, “and to everyone who would inherit from him by a prescribed share or as a residuary,” means that maintenance, or the remainder of it, is obligatory for everyone who inherits by a prescribed share or as a residuary. Heirs are either fixed-share heirs, residuary heirs, or relatives who inherit by kinship alone. A person may combine a prescribed share and residuary inheritance, either through two distinct causes or through one cause with two aspects.

An example of two causes is where a man marries his paternal cousin, and she has no residuary heir other than him. In that case, he inherits by a prescribed share by virtue of marriage, and as a residuary by virtue of blood relation.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in The Book of Reconciliation, in the chapter “The Prophet’s statement to al-Hasan ibn Ali: ‘This son of mine is a leader ...’” (2704), on the authority of Abu Musa.

سيد» (١)، فسمَّاه ابناً. حَجَبَهُ مُعْسِرٌ أَوْ لا، وَلِكُلِّ مَنْ يَرِثُهُ بِفَرْضٍ، أَوْ تَعْصِيبٍ لَا بِرَحِمٍ، سِوَى عَمُودَيْ نَسَبِهِ، سَوَاءٌ وَرِثَهُ الآخَرُ، كَأَخٍ أَوْ لَا، كَعَمَّةٍ وَعَتِيقٍ، بِمَعْرُوفٍ، مَعَ فَقْرِ مَنْ تَجِبُ لَهُ، وَعَجْزِهِ عَنْ تَكَسُّبٍ، ..... قوله: «حجبه معسرٌ أو لا» «حجبه» الضمير «الهاء» يعود على المنفق، يعني أنه لا يشترط التوارث، فحتى لو كان المنفق محجوباً بمعسر تجب النفقة. مثاله: رجل عنده أب فقير، وجدٌّ فقير، فيجب أن ينفق على أبيه؛ لأنه ابنه ووارثه، ويجب أن ينفق على جده مع أنه لا يرثه في هذه الصورة. وقوله: «أَوْ لا» أي: أو لم يحجبه معسر، مثاله: رجل له أبٌ رقيق، وجدٌّ حرٌّ، فهذا الأب لا يحجب الابن، بل ابن الابن يرث؛ لأن الأب رقيق لا يرث، والمحجوب بالوصف لا يَحجب، وعليه فيجب عليه الإنفاق على جده. وكذلك لو فرض أن له جداً وليس له أب، فيجب عليه الإنفاق؛ لأنه ليس محجوباً. قوله: «ولكل من يرثه بفرض أو تعصيب» أي: وتجب النفقة أو تتمتها لكل من يرث بفرض أو تعصيب، والورثة إما ذو فرض، أو تعصيب، أو رحم، وقد يجمع الإنسان بين الفرض والتعصيب، إمّا بسببين مختلفين، أو بسبب ذي وجهين: مثال السببين: كما لو تزوج ابنة عمه، وليس لها عاصب سواه، فهنا يرث بالفرض باعتبار الزوجية، وبالتعصيب باعتبار النسب.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الصلح/ باب قول النبي ﷺ للحسن بن علي ﵄: «ابني هذا سيد … » (٢٧٠٤) عن أبي موسى ﵁.