Whoever endows any of his property for the sake of Allah will become a waqif (endower).
Linguistic Explanation: The word Waqf is derived from the root وَقَفَ يَقِفُ (Daraba), meaning “to stop, to make something stop, and to endow for the sake of Allah.”
[Al-Qamus Al-Muheet: p. 1112, Al-Mu’jam Al-Waseet: p. 914, Al-Munjid: p. 981]
Technical Definition: To restrain a property from disposal for the purpose of nearness to Allah and to benefit from it in permissible expenditures.
[Al-Fiqh Al-Islami wa Adillatuhu: 10/7601, Fath Al-Qadeer: 5/37, Al-Lubab: 2/180, Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar: 3/391, Kashaf Al-Qina’: 4/267]
Legitimacy: All the verses about spending in the way of Allah prove this, among which are the following:
➊ لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ [Al-Imran: 92]
“Never will you attain righteousness until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love.”
➋ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ [Al-Baqarah: 267]
“O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned.”
➌ وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ [Al-Hadid: 10]
“What is [the matter] with you that you do not spend in the cause of Allah? And Allah is the wealthiest of all wealth.”
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عنه عمله إلا من ثلاثه أشياء: صدقة جارية أو علم ينتفع به أو ولد صالح يدعوله
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), knowledge from which benefit is gained, and a righteous child who prays for him.”
[Muslim: 1631, Kitab Al-Wasiyyah: Chapter on what follows a person after death, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Bukhari: 38, Abu Dawood: 2880, Tirmidhi: 1376, Ahmad: 2/372, Ibn Khuzaymah: 2494, Abu Ya’la: 11/343, Mushkil Al-Athar: 1/190, Bayhaqi: 6/278, Sharh As-Sunnah: 1/237]
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Umar (RA) that Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (RA) received a piece of land in Khyber and came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for advice and said: O Messenger of Allah! I have received a piece of land in Khyber, and I have never received better property than this. What do you command regarding it? He said:
إن شئت حبست أصلها وتصدقت بها ، قال: فتصدق بها عمر أنه لا يباع ولا يوهب ولا يورث وتصدق بها فى الفقراء وفي القربى وفي الرقاب وفى سبيل الله وابن السبيل والضيف ، ولا جناح على من وليها أن يأكل منها بالمعروف ويطعم غير متمول
“If you wish, keep the original land in your ownership and give the produce as charity.” Hazrat Ibn Umar (RA) narrates that then Hazrat Umar (RA) endowed it on the condition that it would neither be sold, gifted, nor inherited. He endowed it for the needy, relatives, freeing slaves, propagation of Allah’s religion, and guests. And if the trustee or supervisor takes from it according to the rules as needed or gives to a needy person, there is no blame on him.”
[Bukhari: 2737, Kitab Ash-Shurut: Chapter on conditions in Waqf, Muslim: 1632-1633, Abu Dawood: 2878, Nasa’i: 6/230, Tirmidhi: 1375, Ibn Majah: 2396, Ahmad: 2/55, Tahawi: 2/249, Bayhaqi: 6/158, Dar Qutni: 4/186]
➌ Hazrat Uthman (RA) bought the well of Ruma (sweet water well) in Medina and endowed it for the Muslims.
[Hasan: Irwa’ Al-Ghalil: 1594, Nasa’i: 3608, Kitab Al-Ahbas: Chapter on endowment of mosques, Tirmidhi: 3703, Bukhari commentary: 2351, Kitab Al-Masaqah: Chapter on those who consider water charity, gift, or will permissible whether divided or not]
➍ In a narration, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
أما خالد فقد حبس أدراعه وأعتده فى سبيل الله
“Khalid has endowed all his armor and war equipment in the way of Allah.”
[Bukhari: 1468, Kitab Az-Zakat: Chapter on Allah’s statement regarding slaves and debtors, Ahmad: 2/322, Abu Dawood: 1623, Nasa’i: 2464]
(Tirmidhi) We find no disagreement among the Companions (RA) and early scholars regarding Waqf.
[Sunaan Tirmidhi: 3/660]
(Qurtubi) The one who denies Waqf denies consensus.
[Tafsir Qurtubi: 6/339]
(Jamhur, Abu Hanifa) According to the most correct opinion, all of them accept the permissibility of Waqf.
[Neel Al-Awtar: 4/83, Hashiyah Ibn Abidin: 4/338]
It is permissible for the endower to spend the produce in any way of nearness and pleasure of Allah, and it is correct for the trustee of the Waqf to benefit from it in a known manner.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Hazrat Umar (RA):
إن شئت حبست أصلها وتصدقت بها
“If you wish, keep the original land in your ownership and give the produce as charity.”
[Bukhari: 2737, Kitab Ash-Shurut: Chapter on conditions in Waqf, Muslim: 1632]
In this hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) used the word charity (Sadaqah) absolutely, indicating that the endower can endow property anywhere at his discretion, provided it is for permissible expenditures and for the sake of nearness to Allah.
It should be noted that nearness to Allah does not include only eight categories but includes all expenditures where reward and recompense can be expected, for example:
❀ Endowing something for feeding animals.
❀ Endowing something for the servant of the mosque.
❀ Removing harmful things from the path.
❀ All other deeds will be analogized accordingly.
[Ar-Rawdah An-Nadiyyah: 2/337]
In a narration from Sahih Bukhari, it is stated:
ولا جناح على من وليها أن يأكل منها بالمعروف
“And if the trustee or supervisor takes from it according to the rules as needed, there is no sin on him.”
[Bukhari: 2737, Kitab Ash-Shurut: Chapter on conditions in Waqf, Muslim: 1632]
The endower should consider himself as part of the general Muslims in the Waqf, and if a person endows something harmful for his heirs, his Waqf is invalid.
Hazrat Uthman (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
من يشترى بٔر رومة فيـكـون دلوه فيها كدلاء المسلمين
“Is there anyone who buys the well of Ruma (a famous well in Medina) and puts his bucket in it just like other Muslims?”
[Bukhari commentary: before hadith / 2351, Kitab Al-Masaqah: Chapter on those who consider water charity, gift, or will permissible, Nasa’i: 3636, Kitab Al-Ahbas: Chapter on endowment of mosques, Sahih Nasa’i: 3372, Tirmidhi: 3703]
In the Quran, at many places, causing harm is prohibited, as in the following verses:
➊ أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَارُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ [At-Talaq: 6]
“Maintain them [the divorced women] in kindness or release them with kindness. And do not keep them, intending harm.”
➋ وَلَا يُضَارَّ كَاتِبٌ وَلَا شَهِيدٌ ۚ [Al-Baqarah: 282]
“Do not harm the scribe or the witness.”
➌ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ [Al-Baqarah: 231]
“And do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they agree among themselves in a reasonable manner. And do not harm them to prevent them.”
➍ مِن بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصَىٰ بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ [An-Nisa: 12]
“[This is] after any bequest he [may have] made or debt.”
➎ In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
لا ضرر ولا ضرار فى الإسلام
“In Islam, there is neither harming nor reciprocating harm with greater harm.”
[Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 1896, Kitab Al-Ahkam: Chapter on who builds something harmful to his neighbors, Ibn Majah: 2340, 2341, Tabarani Kabir: 11/302, Nasb Ar-Rayah: 4/384]
➏ It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Sarmah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
من ضآر أضر الله به
“Whoever harms someone, Allah will harm him in return.”
[Hasan: Sahih Ibn Majah: 1897, Kitab Al-Ahkam: Chapter on who builds something harmful to his neighbors, Irwa’ Al-Ghalil: 896, Ibn Majah: 2342, Abu Dawood: 3635, Tirmidhi: 1940, Ahmad: 15755]
If a person places any property in a mosque or khanqah from which no one benefits, it is permissible to use it for the needs of the needy and Muslims, and these include items kept in the Kaaba and the Prophet’s Mosque.
➊ Hazrat Umar (RA) said while sitting with Hazrat Abu Wa’il (RA) in the Kaaba:
لقد هممت أن لا أدع فيها صفراء ولا بيضاء إلا قسمتها بين المسلمين
“My intention is to distribute the gold and silver present in it among the Muslims.”
Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Wa’il (RA) said that you cannot do this because your two companions (i.e., the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA)) did not do so. Hazrat Umar (RA) said: “I will also follow them.” (Meaning spending extensively on the needs of Muslims is established from them, so I will follow them.)
[Bukhari: 1594, 7215, Kitab Al-Hajj: Chapter on covering the Kaaba, Ahmad: 3/410]
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
لولا أن قومك حديثوا عهد بجاهلية أو قال بكفر لأنفقت كنز الكعبة فى سبيل الله
“If your people had not recently come out of ignorance or disbelief, I would have spent the treasure of the Kaaba in the way of Allah.”
[Muslim: 1333, Kitab Al-Hajj: Chapter on the destruction and rebuilding of the Kaaba]
This ruling will remain until the Day of Judgment that if spending the unnecessary wealth of mosques on other than mosque purposes, such as the poor and needy, may cause fitnah (discord), then it is better not to do so. But if there is no such danger, then it is preferable to spend such surplus wealth on the needy and beneficial works, preventing it from accumulating in one place. And it should also be remembered that if this ruling applies to the wealth of the Kaaba, then the same ruling applies to the wealth of other mosques.
