the clothing of himself, his wife, and his slaves, and the housing of himself, his wife, and his slaves. But from what source must this surplus come? The author says:

“From present means,” that is, something currently in his possession.

His statement, “or income that can be earned,” means what he earns through a craft, trade, or the like. For example, a man works at a trade and earns enough to provide for himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night; he must spend whatever exceeds that amount.

His statement, “not from capital”: what is meant here by capital is the capital he needs in order to earn his livelihood. For example, a man has ten thousand riyals with which he engages in buying and selling, but its growth and the profit he earns from it are only sufficient for the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves for their day and night. May his relative demand that he support him out of these ten thousand riyals? The answer is: he may not, because the man would say, “If I give him from my capital, my profit will decrease; and if my profit decreases, what suffices me will decrease, resulting in harm.” Harm is not to be removed by causing harm.

His statement, “or the price of property”: property includes a property in which one lives. Thus, if his relative says to him, “You have a house, so sell it, support me, and rent a place for yourself,” we say: he is not obliged to do so, because he needs this property. Likewise, if a person has no capital but owns property that yields him an income—whether a farm or a house that he rents out—which suffices for the sustenance of himself, his wife, and his slaves, do we say: “Sell the property and support your relative”? No.

Or suppose a man owns a luxurious car, and his relative says to him, “Sell it and buy an old car.” Are we to compel him to do so? No—especially if he is someone accustomed to riding in such a luxurious car.