ten and the grandfather twenty, in whatever manner is most suitable and beneficial to the person being supported.

His statement, “the grandfather,” means the paternal grandfather, excluding the maternal grandfather. Thus, if he has a mother and a grandfather through her—that is, her father—and both are wealthy while the child is poor, then the maintenance in this case is borne solely by the mother, since she alone would inherit from him, both by prescribed share and by return. As for the mother’s father, he inherits nothing in this case and therefore bears no maintenance obligation.

If the mother is poor while her father is wealthy, must he provide maintenance? Yes, because mutual inheritance is not stipulated between ascendants and descendants.

The grandmother bears one-sixth, and the remainder is borne by the brother. The father alone is responsible for supporting his child. Whoever has a poor son and a wealthy brother is entitled to no maintenance from either of them. Whoever has a poor mother and a wealthy grandmother, his maintenance is borne by the grandmother. Whoever is responsible for Zayd’s maintenance is also responsible for the maintenance of his wife, as a wet nurse, for two years. ............................

His statement, “The grandmother bears one-sixth, and the remainder is borne by the brother,” is based on inheritance. Thus, if a person dies leaving behind a grandmother and a full brother, the grandmother receives one-sixth and the remainder belongs to the brother. Therefore, we say that the grandmother bears one-sixth and the brother bears the remainder.

If there is instead a maternal brother and a grandmother, they must provide maintenance equally, because a sole maternal brother inherits one-sixth and the grandmother likewise inherits one-sixth. Thus, the estate is calculated as six shares and then returned to two.

Some of our colleagues said regarding this case: the maternal brother is responsible only for one-sixth, because he inherits no more than one-sixth by prescribed share; return is not inheritance by prescribed share, but rather by return. The grandmother would then bear five-sixths, because mutual inheritance is not stipulated among ascendants. I reserve judgment in this matter, because each view has a valid basis.

His statement, “The father alone is responsible for supporting his child”: what is meant here by “father” is the immediate father, not the grandfather. Thus, if there is a wealthy mother and a wealthy father,