Avenues of spending Waqf funds

Question:-

In our Masjid trust named “XYZ Mosque and Madrasah Trust”, there are Waqf properties.

Can the income from the waqf properties be used for the following:

1. Musjid maintenance
2. Madrasah maintenance
3. Imaam and Muazzin salaries
4. Ustaad salaries in the Madrasah
5. Maintenance of Masjid properties apart from Masjid and Madrasah
6. Madrasah activities like the annual Jalsa and annual soccer tournament.

Please advise!

Answer:-

We assume that XYZ Masjid and Madrasah Trust is governed by a constitution. The constitution should stipulate the various avenues where the Waqf funds, as well as the income derived from the Waqf properties, should be spent. The trustees will be required to strictly adhere to the Masjid constitution; hence, it will not be correct to spend the income derived from the Waqf properties in any other avenues besides what has been stipulated in the constitution.

If the Madrasah is part of the Masjid, or run under the auspices of the Masjid, which we assume is the case in your town, then the Waqf income can be utilized to pay both Masjid and Madrasah employees’ salaries. Similarly, the funds can be used for both Masjid and Madrasah maintenance.

انهم صرحوا بان مراعاة غرض الواقفين واجبة (شامي ص665 ج2)

جب مدرسہ ومسجد دونوں کیلئے مخلوط طور پر وقف کیا ہے تو دوکانوں کی آمدنی میں سے مدرسہ میں بھی اور مسجد میں بھی اور دونو کی تعمیر میں بھی خرچ کرسکتا ہے ۔ اسلئے کہ یہ غرض واقف کے خلاف نہیں ہے (فتاوی قاسمیہ ص۲۲۱ ج۱۸)

مدرس کو مدرسہ کی تنخواہ مسجد کے مد سے دینا اس وقت درست ہے جبکہ مدرسہ مسجد کے نظام کے تحت چلتا ہو یا مسجد مدرسہ کے نظام کے تحت چلتی ہو اور دونو کا نظام ذمہ دار کے ما تحت ہو    (فتاوی قاسمیہ ص۲۱۹/ ۲۲۰ ج۱۸)

The maintenance of the Waqf properties should be carried out from the income derived from the Waqf properties. In fact, the jurists have written that the income of the Waqf properties should be spent on maintaining the Waqf properties first, so that they may continue yielding an income which will benefit the beneficiaries of the Waqf in the years to come.

(والواجب أن يبدأ من ريع الوقف) : أي غلته (بعمارته) بقدر ما يبقى على الصفة التي وقف عليها، وإن خرب بنى على ذلك، سواء (شرط الواقف ذلك أو لم يشرط) ، لأن قصد الواقف صرف الغلة مؤبداً، ولا تبقى دائمة إلا بالعمارة فيثبت شرط العمارة اقتضاء. (اللباب في شرح الكتاب ص184 ج2)

Lastly, Waqf funds cannot be utilized to host a Jalsa or an annual soccer match. The trustees may collect funds separately to host the Madrasah Jalsa. Soccer falls in the category of Kuffar sports, which is alien to our Deen. We are, undoubtedly, required to keep fit and it is encouraged in our Deen. However, there are various other permissible ways of keeping fit such as swimming, walking, jogging, horse-riding, practicing archery, wrestling, etc. with the proviso that they are all carried out within the boundaries of Shariah. However, even if the Masjid committee arranges for the students to participate in any of the Sunnah sports, then too, Waqf funds cannot be used for this objective.

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 10 Rajab 1444 / 01 February 2023