—such as a mosque or the like—to the point that restoration is impossible, the income from the endowment supporting it is to be directed elsewhere. Any endowment income exceeding its intended needs is to be spent on a comparable purpose or for the benefit of Muslims in its locality; the money must not be retained indefinitely without benefit. Every year, Umar ibn al-Khattāb used to distribute the Kaaba’s covering among the pilgrims. The same applies to mosque mats and similar furnishings that are no longer needed. He also ordered the mosque of Kufa to be moved from one location to another, until its original site became a marketplace.

He was also asked—may Allah have mercy on him—about an endowment established for the ashrāf (members of the Prophet’s noble family), and the statement that certain people are relatives:

“Are these relatives among the ashrāf or not? May they receive anything from the endowment or not?”

He replied:

Praise be to Allah.

If the endowment is for the household of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or for some members of his household—such as the descendants of Alī or Fātimah, or the descendants of Abū Tālib, who include the descendants of Jaʿfar and Aqīl—or for the descendants of al-Abbās and the like, then only those whose lineage is genuine and established are entitled to receive from it.

As for someone who claims to belong to them but whose membership has not been established, or who is known not to belong to them, he is not entitled to receive from this endowment, even if he claims otherwise. Such are the descendants of Abd Allāh ibn Maymūn al-Qaddāh, for the people of