Who are the female's relatives who are obligated to financially support her in Islam, in order of priority, and is she required to work if she cannot find anyone to support her and is capable of working, or is she entitled to take from the Muslim treasury (Bayt al-Mal)?
The maintenance of a married woman is obligatory upon her husband by scholarly consensus. As for an unmarried woman, her maintenance comes from her own wealth if she is rich. If she is poor and unable to earn, her maintenance is upon her father if he is solvent. If the father is deceased or poor, scholars have differed on whom the maintenance is obligatory: the Malikis held that it is obligatory upon the father and the son, the Shafi'is upon the father, no matter how high he is in descent, and the son, no matter how low he is in descent, the Hanafis upon every relative, and the Hanbalis upon every heir.
If a woman has no one to provide for her and she is able to work, then it is apparent that she must work to provide for herself.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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