The Maintenance of Destitute Women
According to the Shariah, men are the maintainers of women. The Qur’aan and Ahadeeth state this law with great clarity. It is the waajib obligation of the mahram males of a destitute woman to support her and to ensure that all her needs are provided in the same way as a husband would make available her provision.
This waajib duty in the first instance devolves on the Asbah relatives (i.e. from the father’s side). The obligation devolves on the Asbaat by degree of closeness. Thus, the duty of support is first the responsibility of the sons, then of the brothers, then paternal uncles, then paternal nephews and so on.
If there are no such relative, or all the Asbaat are so hopeless and satanic that they refuse to discharge their obligation, then the duty will devolve on the Zawil Arhaam (i.e. the relatives from the mother’s side). If the Zawil Arhaam refuse to shoulder their responsibility or if there are no such relatives, then the obligation devolves on the neighbours also by degree of closeness of location.
Caring for the destitute is a duty which settles collectively on the community. Any one person discharging the obligation will absolve the whole community. But in this day and age, relatives, neighbours, as well as the community at large fail miserably to execute their waajib obligation. Doling out food vouchers and handouts occasionally does not release the community from their waajib obligation of caring for the destitute women who are many a time constrained by circumstances to leave the home precincts and enter into an immoral environment to seek a living.
It is the waajib obligation of the community, especially the Asbaat, to make it their duty to search for their destitute relatives, especially divorced women who have no maintainers. Their needs should be delivered to their homes. It is despicable and most dishonourable for a family to allow a destitute woman of their clan in particular to stretch her hands to a welfare organization for some handouts and food vouchers.
Silah (observance of family ties with acts of kindness) is a sacred institution in Islam. Allah Ta’ala has taken an oath by His Greatness, Glory, and Power that He would destroy those who destroy family ties.
(Awake Archives)