nor is maintenance incumbent upon the son, because he is poor. If the son says to his paternal uncle, “Support me,” does he have that right? No, because the paternal uncle does not inherit from him; rather, he is excluded by the father. This is based on the principle established by the author: with respect to relatives other than ascendants and descendants, the provider must be an heir of the person supported, whether through a prescribed share or agnatic succession.

His statement: “If his mother is poor and his grandmother is wealthy, his maintenance is due from the grandmother”: this is because she is wealthy, even if she is not an heir, since mutual inheritance is not a condition in the case of ascendants and descendants. Thus, if he has a poor mother and a wealthy paternal grandmother, maintenance is obligatory upon the paternal grandmother.

Likewise, if he has a wealthy grandmother and a poor father, maintenance is obligatory upon the grandmother, even though she does not inherit from him, because maintenance between ascendants and descendants is not conditional upon mutual inheritance.

His statement: “Whoever is responsible for Zayd’s maintenance is also responsible for the maintenance of his wife”: this is because maintaining his wife is part of maintaining him. If the wife does not find maintenance, she will say to her husband, “Provide for me, or divorce me.” If he says, “I have nothing,” we say: The one who is obliged to maintain you must also provide for your wife.

Is he also obliged to marry him off? Yes, because marriage is part of maintenance. This is why a person may be given zakah if he needs to marry. If he marries him to one woman and he says, “One is not enough for me,” must he marry him to a second? Yes. If he says, “That is not enough,” then a third; and if he says, “That is not enough,” then a fourth.

His statement: “Like a wet nurse for two full years”: a wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds; that is, just as maintenance for the wet nurse is obligatory for a period of two years.