Is it permissible for a mother to seek financial assistance for her children after the father has abandoned them and is unable to provide for them? Are the children, in this case, considered as orphans? And is the assistance provided to the mother by relatives considered a charity given to her or to her children?

If three people of sound judgment from his community attest to his poverty, it is permissible for him to ask for what suffices his need, based on the Muslim tradition: "Begging is not lawful except for one of three..." and among them is a man who has been afflicted by poverty, and three people from his community attest to it. In this situation, the children are not orphans; rather, they are poor. Allah Almighty has urged the assistance of relatives, the poor, and orphans, and showing kindness to them and to their mother is among the greatest acts of closeness to Allah. What the father did by neglecting his family does not negate his right to dutifulness and care, especially with his illness and incapacity.