Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (11/54)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

the view concerning the statements of endowers, sellers, mortgagors, and others is that the determining reference in such matters is customary usage.

His statement, “It includes both males and females among his children, the children of his father, his grandfather, and his paternal great-grandfather”: in the phrase “his grandfather,” the word must be read in the genitive—that is, it includes his children; the children of his father, who are his siblings; the children of his grandfather, who are his paternal uncles; and the children of his paternal great-grandfather, who are his father’s paternal uncles.

But are all of these entitled to benefit?

The answer is: yes, they are entitled, but some are given precedence over others. Whoever is closer in relation has the greater right to the endowment. Thus, if the members of his household number five hundred and the endowment is five hundred dirhams, it is not possible to give everyone a share, because giving each person one dirham would be of no benefit. Rather, in this case, priority should be given to those closest in relation, or to those most in need.

However, what the author—may Allah have mercy on him—means is that all of these are among those entitled to benefit. As for their order of precedence, that is left to the administrator of the endowment.

“If there is an indication requiring that females be included or deprived, it is acted upon. If an endowment is made for a group whose members can be counted, they must all be included and treated equally; otherwise, preference may be given and it is permissible to limit it to one of them.”

His statement, “If there is an indication requiring that females be included or deprived, it is acted upon,” means that if there is an indication requiring the inclusion of females where the wording indicates their exclusion, or their deprivation where the wording indicates their inclusion, it is acted upon. This is because the meanings of words are determined by context and contextual indications. Therefore, if there is an indication that females are included in the endowment, they are included even if the wording does not itself require their inclusion. And if there is an indication that they are to be deprived, they are not included, even if the wording encompasses them.

أقوال الواقفين والبائعين والراهنين وغيرهم أن المرجع في ذلك إلى العُرف. وقوله: «يشمل الذكر والأنثى من أولاده وأولاد أبيه وجَدِّه وجدِّ أبيه»، يتعين في قوله: «جَدِّه» الجر، يعني من أولاده، وأولاد أبيه الذين هم إخوانه، وأولاد جده الذين هم أعمامه، وأولاد جد أبيه الذين هم أعمام أبيه. ولكن هل هؤلاء كلهم يستحقون؟ الجواب: نعم يستحقون لكن يقدم بعضهم على بعض، فكل من كان أقرب فهو بالوقف أحق، فإذا قدر أن أهل بيته خمسمائة والوقف خمسمائة درهم فهنا لا يمكن أن نعطي الجميع؛ لأن إعطاء كل واحد درهماً لا يفيد شيئاً، بل هنا ينبغي أن ننظر إلى الأقرب فالأقرب، أو إلى الأحوج فالأحوج. لكن مراد المؤلف ﵀: أن كل هؤلاء من ذوي الاستحقاق، أما ترتيبهم فهذا يرجع إلى الناظر على الوقف. وَإِنْ وُجِدَتْ قَرِينَةٌ تَقْتَضِي إِرَادَةَ الإِنَاثِ أَوْ حِرْمَانَهُنَّ عُمِلَ بِهَا، وَإِذَا وَقَفَ عَلَى جَمَاعَةٍ يُمْكِنُ حَصْرُهُمْ وَجَبَ تَعْمِيمُهُمْ وَالتَّسَاوِي، وَإِلاَّ جَازَ التَّفْضِيلُ وَالاقْتِصَارُ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمْ. قوله: «وإن وجدت قرينة تقتضي إرادة الإناث أو حرمانهن عُمل بها»، يعني إذا وجدت قرينة تقتضي إرادة الإناث فيما يدل اللفظ على إخراجهن، أو حرمانهن فيما يدل اللفظ على دخولهن فإنه يعمل بها؛ وذلك لأن الألفاظ تتحدد معانيها بحسب السياق والقرائن، فلذلك إذا وجدت قرينة تدل على أن الإناث داخلات في الوقف دخلن، وإن كان اللفظ لا يقتضي دخولهن، وإذا وجدت قرينة تدل على حرمانهن فإنهن لا يدخلن، وإن كان اللفظ يشملهن.