بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Kitāb Al-Buyoo’ (Fiqh Al-Muyassar) Lesson 18 Notes (26 Sha’bān 1446 H - 25/2/25) Continuation... الباب الثاني والعشرون: الوقف The 22nd Subchapter: Endowment (Waqf) المسألة الأولى: معناه وحكمه Definition and Ruling DEFINITION LINGUISTICALLY لغة: الحبس To restrain/restrict. BENEFIT قال أبو السعادات ابن الأثير في النهاية: «يقال: وقَفْتُ الشيءَ أقِفُهُ وَقْفًا، ولا يقال فيه: أَوْقَفْتُ إلا على لغةٍ رديئة» The verb follows the form "waqaftu" "aqifuhu" waqfan. It is not said "awqaftu", except in an inferior or incorrect linguistic usage. BENEFIT: Other terms for Waqf = الحبْس والتسبيل. LEGISLATIVELY حبس عين يمكن الانتفاع بها مع بقائها؛ تقرباً إلى الله تعالى. فهو: تحبيس الأصل وتسبيل المنفعة. Waqf is the dedication of an asset for beneficial use while maintaining its original form, as an act of devotion to Allāh Almighty. Waqf is essentially restricting the principal asset while allocating its benefits for charitable purposes. EXAMPLE: A person may endow a house, rent it out, and allocate the rental income to the needy, masjid expenses, printing religious books, or other similar charitable causes. RULING Waqf is a recommended (mustaḥabb) act. The main evidence is the narration of ’Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh be pleased with him) when he acquired a piece of land in Khaybar and said: يا رسول الله، أصبت أرضاً بخيبر، لم أصب مالاً قط أنفس عندي منه، فما تأمرني؟ "O Messenger of Allāh, I have obtained land in Khaybar, and I have never acquired wealth more valuable to me than this. What do you command me to do with it?" The Prophet ﷺ replied: ((إن شئت حبست أصلها وتصدقت بها، غير أنه لا يباع أصلها ولا يوهب ولا يورث)) "If you wish, you may retain its principal and donate its benefits, provided that the principal is neither sold, gifted, nor inherited." [Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 2737, and Muslim, no. 1632] BENEFIT: Imām Aḥmad recorded in his Musnad that ’Abdullāh ibn ’Umar (may Allāh be pleased with them both) said: «أول صدقة -أيْ موقوفة- كانت في الإسلام صدقة عمر» "The first charity—meaning an endowment—in Islam was the charity of ’Umar." [Reported by Aḥmad, no. 6460]. Others have said that the first waqf in Islam was the land of Mukhayreeq, which the Prophet ﷺ designated as Waqf. Additionally, Abu Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: ((إذا مات ابن آدم انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو له)) "When a human being dies, all their deeds come to an end except for three: a continuous charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them." [Reported by Muslim, no. 1631] The term صدقة جارية (continuous charity) in this narration refers to Waqf. NOTE: Waqf is the best form of charity. For this reason, Jābir ibn ’Abdullāh (may Allāh be pleased with them both) said: «لم يكن أحدٌ من أصحاب النبي ﷺ ذو مقدرة إلا وقّف» "There was no one among the companions of the Prophet ﷺ who had the means but that they established a waqf." One of the best forms of Waqf is to build a Masjid, as the Prophet ﷺ said: ((من بنى لله مسجدًا بنى الله له به بيتًا في الجنة)) "Whoever builds a masjid for the sake of Allāh, Allāh will build for him a house in Paradise." [Muslim] NOTE: The primary reason for the neglect or discontinuation of many endowments is the absence of a responsible overseer. Thus anyone who intends to establish a waqf should appoint a supervisor (ناظر) to oversee it, and dedicate a fair salary for their service, as this helps preserve and sustain the waqf. Ibn ’Umar (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that ’Umar stipulated in his endowment that its custodian could take from its yield for personal sustenance and feed his friends, without amassing wealth. He also designated Hafsah (may Allāh be pleased with her) as the ناظر of his waqf after him. After Hafsah, the responsibility was to be passed to the senior members of the family of Umar.