the wealthy among you.”

He, glorified is He, thus explained that He prescribed what He mentioned so that wealth acquired without fighting would not circulate among the wealthy to the exclusion of the poor. It is therefore clear that He, glorified is He, dislikes this, forbids it, and condemns it. Whoever establishes an endowment exclusively for the wealthy has made its wealth circulate among them, generation after generation, to the exclusion of the poor. This opposes Allah’s command and His religion, and is therefore impermissible.

It is reported in the Sunan collections that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“No prize may be offered except for camel racing, horse racing, or archery.”

If he prohibited offering prize money except for what aids obedience to Allah and jihad—even though this is a gift made during one’s lifetime that comes to an end and is not perpetual—what, then, of an endowment?

This is clear from the fundamental principles of the revealed Law in two respects:

First: wealth may only be spent for some religious or worldly benefit. This is a principle upon which the scholars agree. Whoever departs from it is financially irresponsible and, according to the majority of scholars, who impose legal restrictions on the financial dealings of such people, would be placed under those restrictions. He would also be squandering his wealth, and Allah has forbidden squandering wealth in His Book:

“and do not squander your wealth.”

This means spending it on what serves no beneficial purpose. He would also be wasting his wealth, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited wasting wealth in the hadith recorded by both al-Bukhārī and Muslim, narrated by al-Mughīra