and postponing it. The brothers of Yusuf said: {And be charitable to us} (19). The report intended the obligatory charity, because the request was for that, and the definite article [alif and lam] refers to the known [charity]. Ja‘far ibn Muhammad narrated from his father that he used to drink from water reservoirs between Makkah and Madinah. I said to him: 'Do you drink from charity?' He replied: 'Only the obligatory charity was forbidden to us' (20). It is permissible for them to take from bequests for the poor and from vows, because both are voluntary, so they are similar to what is bequeathed to them. Regarding expiation [kaffarah], there are two views: One is that it is permissible, because it is not Zakat, nor is it the filth of the people, so it is similar to voluntary charity. The second is that it is not permissible, because it is obligatory, so it resembles Zakat.

Section: Everyone who is prohibited from receiving obligatory charity, including the wealthy, the relatives of the donor, the disbeliever, and others, may be given voluntary charity, and they are permitted to accept it. Allah the Almighty says: {And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive} (22). At that time, the captive was nothing but a disbeliever. It is narrated from Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that she said: 'My mother came to me while she was a polytheist. I said: O Messenger of Allah, my mother has come to me and she is hopeful [of assistance], so should I maintain ties with her?' He said: 'Yes, maintain ties with your mother' (23). ‘Umar clothed a brother of his who was a polytheist (24) with a garment that the Prophet (peace be upon him)