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From his words, “So ʿUmar gave it in charity to the poor…,” we understand the lawful channels of a waqf’s disbursement: it must be directed to avenues of public or private benevolence—supporting one’s relatives, freeing captives, striving in Allah’s cause, honoring guests, aiding the poor and the destitute, and financing the construction of schools, shelters, hospitals, and the like.
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From the words, “No blame rests on the one who administers it if he eats from it in a reasonable manner,” we learn that the conditions stipulated by the endower are valid so long as they do not conflict with the purpose of the waqf, and involve neither sin nor injustice. Such stipulations are permissible because they confer a benefit on the endower without wronging anyone. If these conditions were not enforceable, ʿUmar’s stipulation would have served no purpose.
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The phrase, “No blame rests on the one who administers it…,” also establishes that the supervisor of a waqf may eat from it in a customary, moderate fashion—only what suffices his need—without treating it as a source of profit. He may likewise feed a friend from it in an appropriate manner.
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The hadith highlights the virtue of establishing a waqf; it is a form of ongoing charity and continual kindness.
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It shows that the best charity is given from one’s finest and most treasured wealth, seeking the grace and bounty that Allah has promised to those who spend of what they love.
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It underscores the importance of consulting people of excellence—those of religion and knowledge—for every field has its own experts who understand it.
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It teaches that a person who is asked for advice must recommend what he believes to be best and most commendable, for religion is sincere counsel.
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It points to the merit of kindness and benevolence toward relatives, for giving charity to them counts both as almsgiving and as maintaining family ties.
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The hadith indicates that the conditions attached to a waqf must be sound according to the Sacred Law: they must not contradict the waqf’s purpose of righteousness and beneficence, nor violate justice by inclining toward oppression, bias, or wrongdoing.
We present here a summary of what Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah said on the matter. He cited the hadith of ʿĀʾishah, “Whoever vows to obey Allah must obey Him…,” and the hadith of Buraydah, “Every condition not found in the Book of Allah is void… yet the Muslims are bound by their conditions…,” and then said:
Whoever, in a waqf, emancipation, gift, sale, marriage, lease, vow, or any other transaction, stipulates conditions that contravene what Allah has prescribed for His servants, such that