What should a widow do who lives with her unemployed son and brother, and is asked to spend on them from her meager pension and her orphaned son's meager pension? And is she considered to be consuming the orphan's money if she agrees to that?
"There is no obligation for a brother to financially support his sister if she is unable to provide for herself, or if the brother is capable of earning but neglects it due to laziness. For financial support to be obligatory, the needy person must be poor, and the provider must possess more than what suffices his needs. It is permissible for a mother to partake from the wealth of her orphan son, especially when in need, as stated in the Hadith: 'Indeed, the best of what a man eats is from his own earning, and his child is from his earning.' It is permissible for a mother to take from her child's wealth what suffices her needs without causing harm to him."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/136727