The point is this: where replacement is permissible, must the replacement be on the same street or in the same town as the original endowment? Or may it be elsewhere if that would better serve the endowment’s beneficiaries—for example, if they reside in a different town and purchasing the replacement there would benefit them more through greater income and easier access?

We say: I know of no one who has stipulated that the replacement must be in the town of the original endowment. Rather, Ahmad’s explicit statements and principles, together with the general and unrestricted wording of his statements and those of his followers, entail doing whatever best serves the endowment’s beneficiaries. His guiding principle in this matter is to safeguard the interests of the endowment. Indeed, his guiding principle regarding contracts generally is to consider people’s interests. Allah has commanded righteousness and forbidden corruption, and has sent His messengers to secure and perfect benefits and to eliminate and reduce harms.

“And Moses said to his brother Aaron, ‘Take my place among my people, put things right, and do not follow the way of those who spread corruption.’”

Shuayb said:

“I only intend reform as far as I am able.”

And the Most High said:

“Whoever fears Allah and sets things right—no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”

And the Most High said:

“When it is said to them, ‘Do not spread corruption on earth,’ they say, ‘We are only reformers.’”

“Indeed, it is they who spread corruption.”

Ahmad ibn Hanbal permitted replacing one mosque with another when this served a beneficial purpose, just as he permitted alterations to a mosque for such a purpose. He cited as evidence that Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—replaced the old mosque of Kufa with another mosque, and the first mosque became a market for date sellers.

Ahmad also permitted relocating a mosque to another village if its locality fell into ruin. Indeed, according to the stronger of the two opinions reported from him, that mosque may be sold and its price used to build another mosque in a different village if it is no longer needed in the first village. Thus, he considered the benefit to mosques as a category, even if the mosque was in