The ruling on a bequest if the beneficiary dies before the testator

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. If a person makes a bequest from his wealth, and after his death the beneficiary dies, does the bequest become an endowment (waqf) or does it revert to the heirs?

Answer:
If a person makes a bequest to a stranger and then that stranger dies, this follows the condition of the testator. If he said, “After my death, it is so-and-so or for his descendants,” then his condition is carried out. If he did not specify anything, but simply said, “It is for so-and-so,” and did not specify anything regarding those after him, then this is called a severed endowment or a severed bequest. It is returned to the needy among his heirs, because they are more deserving of his kindness.