by scholarly consensus. Nor is it permissible to remove what Muslims have used for drinking water and purification. Rather, this unjust tenant who did so must receive a discretionary punishment and be required to compensate for the structures he destroyed. As for the monetary value and the trees, they are to be used to generate income in the customary manner, and the proceeds disbursed for their lawful purposes.

He was asked:

There are mosques and congregational mosques with endowments, caretakers, imams and muezzins. May the local judge allocate any of these funds to himself?

He answered:

Rather, these funds must be disbursed for their lawful purposes. The imams, muezzins and caretakers of congregational and other mosques must be paid from these funds what their counterparts are entitled to receive. Likewise, sufficient funds must be spent, within reasonable bounds, on furnishing and lighting the mosques. Any surplus may be spent on the needs of other mosques. It may also be spent on public interests, such as judges’ stipends, according to one of the two scholarly opinions. However, allocating these funds to judges while withholding provision for the mosques’ needs is not permissible. Allah knows best.