If they are equal in terms of sufficiency, some are not preferred over others; rather, their sufficiency is what differs, and they are given the amount of their sufficiency once every year. This—and Allah knows best—is based on the view of the one who advocates for equality. As for those who advocate for prioritization, they prioritize the people of precedence and long service in Islam over others, according to what they deem appropriate, just as Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, prioritized the people of precedence, dividing for some five thousand, for others four thousand, for others three thousand, and for others two thousand each, and he did not estimate that by sufficiency.

Section: The mandatory stipend is not for anyone except an adult who is capable of fighting, who is sane, free, sighted, and healthy, without an illness that prevents him from fighting. If a healthy person becomes ill with an illness from which recovery is not expected, such as chronic illness and the like, he is removed from the ranks of the combatants and his share is dropped. If it is an illness from which recovery is expected, such as fever, headache, or pleurisy, his stipend is not dropped because he is in the ruling of the healthy; do you not see that he does not appoint a substitute in Hajj, just like the healthy person? If he dies after the time of the stipend has arrived, his right is given to his heirs. Whoever dies among the Muslim soldiers, the amount of their sufficiency is given to his wife and young children; because if his offspring were not given anything after him, he would not devote himself to fighting, as he would fear for his offspring to be lost. When he knows that they will be provided for after his death, that becomes easy for him. This is why Abu Khalid al-Qanani said:

My daughters have increased my love for life, for they are weak, Fearful that they might see poverty after I am gone, And that they might drink turbid water after clear, And that they might be naked while other girls are clothed, So that the eye would turn away from noble, starving ones. Were it not for that, I would have set my stallion to travel, And in the Most Merciful, there is enough for the weak.