Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author stated, in what he quoted from Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father): that her mother came to her in Madinah while she was desirous, so she sought the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) whether she should maintain ties with her or not? And she said:.
And her statement:: Some scholars said its meaning is: she was desirous of Islam, so the command to maintain ties with her is for the purpose of reconciling her to Islam. It was also said: rather, the meaning of his statement: is: she was desirous that I maintain ties with her, and looking forward to that. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded her to maintain ties with her. And this is the closest view: that she came longing and looking forward to her daughter giving her what Allah wills.
In this is evidence that a person maintains ties with his relatives even if they are not upon Islam, because they have the right of kinship. And indicating this is the statement of the Exalted in Surat Luqman:[Luqman 31:15]: The meaning is: if your parents command you and persist in demanding that you associate partners with Allah, do not obey them, because there is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator. But treat them with kindness in this world, give them from the worldly matters what is obligatory for them in terms of maintaining ties, even if they are disbelievers or open sinners, because they have the right of kinship.
And this hadith indicates what the verse indicated, which is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father) to maintain ties with her mother even though she was a disbeliever.
Then, maintaining ties with relatives through charity results in two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining ties. The evidence for that is the hadith of Zaynab bint Mas'ud al-Thaqafiyyah, the wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded the women to give charity. So she returned to her house, and her husband was 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who was of little means, meaning: he did not have money. So she informed him, and he asked her to give charity to him and to the orphans who were in his care. But the matter was unclear to her, so she went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to seek his ruling. When she reached his house, she found a woman from the Ansar at his door, with the same need as Zaynab's, wanting to ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to give charity to her husband and those in her house.
So Bilal came out, and Allah had given the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) great awe; everyone who saw him feared him, but whoever mixed with him in companionship loved him and the awe disappeared from them. However, the first thing a person sees is great awe, and when he mixes with him and associates with him, he loves him and becomes accustomed to him, peace and blessings be upon him. So Bilal came out and asked them about their need, and they informed him that they were asking the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): is it permissible to give charity to their husbands and those in their houses? But they said to him: do not tell the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) who they are. They wanted to remain hidden.
So Bilal entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and informed him, saying: There are two women at the door with such and such a need. He said: Who? And at that point, Bilal was between two things: the trust the two women placed in him, saying: do not tell him who we are, but the Messenger said: Who are they? He said: A woman from the Ansar, and Zaynab.
He said: Which Zaynab? The name Zaynab is common. He said: The wife of 'Abdullah. He did not say: The wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, because 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was a servant of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) who entered his house even without permission, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew his family and knew his situation. He said: Zaynab. He said: Which Zaynab is it? He said: The wife of 'Abdullah.
And he informed him despite their saying to him: do not tell him, because obedience to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is obligatory and takes precedence over obedience to everyone else.
He said: If they give charity to these people, it is charity and maintaining ties, meaning it has two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining ties. That indicates that it is permissible for a person to give charity to his children when there is need, and to give charity to his wife, and likewise the wife gives charity to her husband, and that charity to them is charity and maintaining ties.
As for zakah, if it is from what a person is obligated to pay, then it is not valid for him to give it to them. For example, if the zakah is to meet their need for maintenance, and he is one upon whom maintenance is obligatory, and his wealth can bear it, then it is not permissible for him to give them from the zakah. But if he is one upon whom it is not obligatory, such as if he pays off a debt for his father or for his son or for his wife, or if she pays off a debt on her husband, then there is no harm in that if the debtor is alive. As for the dead debtor, his debt is not paid off except voluntarily, or from the estate, and it is not paid off from zakah. And success is from Allah.
The author stated, in what he quoted from Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father): that her mother came to her in Madinah while she was desirous, so she sought the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) whether she should maintain ties with her or not? And she said:
O Messenger of Allah, my mother has come to me while she is desirous. Should I maintain ties with her? So he commanded her to maintain ties with her.
يا رسول الله، إني أمي قدمت وهي راغبة أفأصلها؟ فأمرها أن تصلهاAnd her statement:
And she was desirous.
وهي راغبةAnd she was desirous.
وهي راغبةIn this is evidence that a person maintains ties with his relatives even if they are not upon Islam, because they have the right of kinship. And indicating this is the statement of the Exalted in Surat Luqman:
But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness
وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفاًAnd this hadith indicates what the verse indicated, which is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father) to maintain ties with her mother even though she was a disbeliever.
Then, maintaining ties with relatives through charity results in two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining ties. The evidence for that is the hadith of Zaynab bint Mas'ud al-Thaqafiyyah, the wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded the women to give charity. So she returned to her house, and her husband was 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who was of little means, meaning: he did not have money. So she informed him, and he asked her to give charity to him and to the orphans who were in his care. But the matter was unclear to her, so she went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to seek his ruling. When she reached his house, she found a woman from the Ansar at his door, with the same need as Zaynab's, wanting to ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to give charity to her husband and those in her house.
So Bilal came out, and Allah had given the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) great awe; everyone who saw him feared him, but whoever mixed with him in companionship loved him and the awe disappeared from them. However, the first thing a person sees is great awe, and when he mixes with him and associates with him, he loves him and becomes accustomed to him, peace and blessings be upon him. So Bilal came out and asked them about their need, and they informed him that they were asking the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): is it permissible to give charity to their husbands and those in their houses? But they said to him: do not tell the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) who they are. They wanted to remain hidden.
So Bilal entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and informed him, saying: There are two women at the door with such and such a need. He said: Who? And at that point, Bilal was between two things: the trust the two women placed in him, saying: do not tell him who we are, but the Messenger said: Who are they? He said: A woman from the Ansar, and Zaynab.
He said: Which Zaynab? The name Zaynab is common. He said: The wife of 'Abdullah. He did not say: The wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, because 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was a servant of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) who entered his house even without permission, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew his family and knew his situation. He said: Zaynab. He said: Which Zaynab is it? He said: The wife of 'Abdullah.
And he informed him despite their saying to him: do not tell him, because obedience to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is obligatory and takes precedence over obedience to everyone else.
He said: If they give charity to these people, it is charity and maintaining ties, meaning it has two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining ties. That indicates that it is permissible for a person to give charity to his children when there is need, and to give charity to his wife, and likewise the wife gives charity to her husband, and that charity to them is charity and maintaining ties.
As for zakah, if it is from what a person is obligated to pay, then it is not valid for him to give it to them. For example, if the zakah is to meet their need for maintenance, and he is one upon whom maintenance is obligatory, and his wealth can bear it, then it is not permissible for him to give them from the zakah. But if he is one upon whom it is not obligatory, such as if he pays off a debt for his father or for his son or for his wife, or if she pays off a debt on her husband, then there is no harm in that if the debtor is alive. As for the dead debtor, his debt is not paid off except voluntarily, or from the estate, and it is not paid off from zakah. And success is from Allah.