As for the third form—giving it in charity to a limited group whose members are not individually specified, as when he says, “My house is a charitable gift to so-and-so and his descendants”—there are two views on whether, once his descendants have died out, it devolves upon the founder’s nearest relatives under the rules governing the reversion of endowments, or becomes the unrestricted property of the last of the descendants. Ashhab related from Mālik that it becomes the unrestricted property of the last of the descendants. Ibn Abdūs reported that it devolves according to the rules governing the reversion of endowments; this is the view of Mālik and some of his followers in al-Mudawwanah. A third view has also been expressed: this constitutes a lifetime grant, and once the descendants have died out, the property reverts to the donor as his own property.

If, however, he combines both expressions, saying, “a charitable endowment,” there is no disagreement that it becomes an inalienable charitable endowment and does not become the unrestricted property of the last of the descendants. I have already explained Mālik’s differing opinions concerning the combination of both expressions in two contexts. Success comes from Allah alone.