It is said that we have a mosque, and there are previous endowments for it from several people. These endowments consist of agricultural land planted with various types of grains, and their value was distributed after being sold
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The questioner : It is said that we have a mosque, and there are previous endowments for it from several people. These endowments consist of agricultural land planted with various types of grains, and their value was distributed after being sold to the needy who ask in the month of Ramadan only. Since these days, praise be to Allah, there is no longer anyone who walks the streets searching for this material except rarely. I ask you to inform me and guide me as to what you see regarding the matter of these endowments. Is it permissible to convert them to other benefits for the mosque, or to those who are in need among the citizens, even if it is not in the month of Ramadan? Yes.
The Shaykh : What I understood from the beginning of the question is that these endowments are for the mosque, is that right?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He says for the mosque.
The questioner : For the mosque, yes.
The Shaykh : So as long as they are for the mosque, they are to be spent on the interests of the mosque from the very beginning, and they are not to be given to the poor, neither in Ramadan nor in any other time, except for what remains after the mosque's needs are met. This is because the obligatory requirement in endowments is that they be spent where the endower specified, unless this condition includes something forbidden, in which case they are not to be spent on it. Or, if the supervisor of the endowment sees that spending them in a direction other than this is better and more beneficial for the Muslims and yields more reward for the endower, then there is no blame on him. This is because the stronger opinion is that there is nothing wrong with directing the endowment to what is more beneficial and better, even if it contradicts the endower's condition. Our evidence for this is what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a man who sought his ruling, saying: "O Messenger of Allah! I vowed that if Allah opens up Makkah for you, I will pray in the Holy Mosque." He said: He repeated it to him, and he said: He repeated it to him, and he said: He repeated it to him, and he said:
So if a vow, and a vow must be fulfilled if it is an act of obedience, can be changed to something better than it, then likewise an endowment can be changed to something better and more beneficial. However, with this, we see that if the supervisor wants to change it, he should seek permission from the court so that he is fully aware of the matter. So this man who has these endowments, if the mosque needs them, he should spend them on the mosque. Then, if something remains after the mosque's needs are met, he should spend it on the poor, whether in Ramadan or in any other time, and whether the poor are from the neighborhood of this mosque or from other neighborhoods in the city.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
This is a message received from the listener Waleed Isa, a Syrian resident of Dammam. He has two questions.
The Shaykh : What I understood from the beginning of the question is that these endowments are for the mosque, is that right?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He says for the mosque.
The questioner : For the mosque, yes.
The Shaykh : So as long as they are for the mosque, they are to be spent on the interests of the mosque from the very beginning, and they are not to be given to the poor, neither in Ramadan nor in any other time, except for what remains after the mosque's needs are met. This is because the obligatory requirement in endowments is that they be spent where the endower specified, unless this condition includes something forbidden, in which case they are not to be spent on it. Or, if the supervisor of the endowment sees that spending them in a direction other than this is better and more beneficial for the Muslims and yields more reward for the endower, then there is no blame on him. This is because the stronger opinion is that there is nothing wrong with directing the endowment to what is more beneficial and better, even if it contradicts the endower's condition. Our evidence for this is what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a man who sought his ruling, saying: "O Messenger of Allah! I vowed that if Allah opens up Makkah for you, I will pray in the Holy Mosque." He said:
Pray here.
صل ها هناPray here.
صل ها هناPray here.
صل ها هناThen do as you wish
شأنك إذنSo if a vow, and a vow must be fulfilled if it is an act of obedience, can be changed to something better than it, then likewise an endowment can be changed to something better and more beneficial. However, with this, we see that if the supervisor wants to change it, he should seek permission from the court so that he is fully aware of the matter. So this man who has these endowments, if the mosque needs them, he should spend them on the mosque. Then, if something remains after the mosque's needs are met, he should spend it on the poor, whether in Ramadan or in any other time, and whether the poor are from the neighborhood of this mosque or from other neighborhoods in the city.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
This is a message received from the listener Waleed Isa, a Syrian resident of Dammam. He has two questions.