Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/505)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

has a poor mother who is able to work in people’s homes and earn a living. She comes to her son and says, “Give me maintenance.” He replies, “No. You are able to earn a living by working as a servant.” Is he entitled to do that?

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that he is not obliged to support her, because he stipulated, among the conditions of the dependent’s need, that he be unable to earn. But this calls for further consideration, for everyone would say that such conduct is not dutifulness toward one’s mother. It is not filial piety to leave one’s mother sweeping in people’s homes, serving them, washing their clothes, and milking their livestock, while you yourself live in comfort. Sound reason cannot accept this, let alone the straight path!

“If there remains beyond the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night, as well as clothing and housing, something from present means or income that can be earned—not from capital, the price of property, or the tools of a trade—and if one has an heir other than a father, then his maintenance is due from them in proportion to their respective shares of inheritance. Thus, one-third is due from the mother and two-thirds from the grandfather, …”

His statement, “if there remains beyond the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night”: this is the third condition, namely, that the person responsible for maintenance be wealthy. Wealth differs according to the subject under discussion. In the chapter of zakah, a wealthy person is one who possesses the minimum taxable threshold. Here, however, the author says: “If there remains beyond the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night.” “Himself” means the person responsible for maintenance, and “his wife” means the wife of the person responsible for maintenance, since she is among his necessary dependants and must remain with him. “His slaves” means the slaves whom he employs, because the household slaves who serve him are indispensable. Thus, if he possesses more than what suffices for the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night, he is obliged to spend the excess on his relative, because it is surplus.

His statement, “as well as clothing and housing”: he must also have a surplus beyond

وعنده أم فقيرة تستطيع أن تخدم عند الناس وتتكسب، فجاءت إلى ابنها، وقالت: أعطني نفقة، فقال لها: لا، أنت تستطيعين التكسب، بأن تشتغلي خادمة، فهل له ذلك؟ ظاهر كلام المؤلف أنه لا يجب عليه الإنفاق عليها؛ لأنه اشترط في حاجة المنفَق عليه عجزه عن التكسب، لكن في هذا نظراً؛ لأن جميع الناس يقولون: إن مثل هذا الفعل ليس براً بالوالدة، فليس من البر بالوالدة أن تدعها تكنس عند الناس، وتخدم وتغسل ثيابهم، وتحلب مواشيهم، وأنت راكن في النعمة، هذا لا يقبله العقل السليم، فضلاً عن الصراط المستقيم! إِذَا فَضَلَ عَنْ قُوتِ نَفْسِهِ وَزَوْجَتِهِ وَرَقِيقِهِ يَوْمَهُ وَلَيْلَتَهُ وَكِسْوَةٍ وَسُكْنَى مِنْ حَاصِلٍ أَوْ مُتَحَصِّلٍ، لَا مِنْ رَأْسِ مَالٍ وَثَمَنِ مُلْكٍ، وَآلَةِ صَنْعَةٍ، وَمَنْ لَهُ وَارِثٌ غَيْرُ أَبٍ فَنَفَقَتُهُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ إِرْثِهِمْ، فَعَلَى الأُمِّ الثُّلُثُ، وَالثُّلُثَانِ عَلَى الْجَدِّ، .................................... قوله: «إذا فضل عن قوت نفسه، وزوجته، ورقيقه يومه وليلته» هذا الشرط الثالث، وهو أن يكون المنفِق غنياً، والغنى يختلف باختلاف الأبواب، فالغني في باب الزكاة من ملك نصاباً، والغني هنا يقول المؤلف: «إذا فضل عن قوت نفسه، وزوجته، ورقيقه، يومه وليلته» «نفسه» أي: المنفِق، «وزوجتِه» أي: زوجة المنفِق؛ لأنها من حاجاته، ولا بد أن تبقى عنده، و «رقيقه» أي: الرقيق الذي يستخدمه؛ لأن رقيقه الذي في البيت لخدمته لا يستغنى عنه، فإذا كان عنده ما يزيد على قوت نفسه وزوجته ورقيقه يومه وليله، فإنه يجب عليه أن ينفقه على قريبه؛ لأنه زائد. قوله: «وكسوة، وسكنى» فلا بد أن يكون عنده فاضل عن