Darul Ifta Ibn Masood

Is it permissible to sell Waqf land if a potential buyer offers a high price?

Published as Selling Waqf land

· 18 Shaʻban 1445 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

Is it permissible to sell Waqf land if a potential buyer offers a high price?

Answer

If the land in question was made Waqf to an institute, then it will belong to the institute and cannot be sold even though the institute may be offered a high price for it. It is necessary for the trustees of the Waqf to ensure that the land is used for the objectives stipulated by the donors. To contradict the Waqf deed in any way without a valid reason is incorrect.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

وَلَا يَجُوزُ لِلْقَيِّمِ شِرَاءُ شَيْءٍ مِنْ مَالِ الْمَسْجِدِ لِنَفْسِهِ وَلَا الْبَيْعُ لَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ لِلْمَسْجِدِ. (البحر الرائق ص401 ج5)

وَفِي الشَّرْعِ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ حَبْسِ الْعَيْنِ عَلَى حُكْمِ مِلْكِ الْوَاقِفِ وَالتَّصَدُّقُ بِالْمَنْفَعَةِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْعَارِيَّةِ، وَهَذَا قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ هُوَ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ حَبْسِ الْعَيْنِ عَلَى حُكْمِ مِلْكِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى وَجْهٍ تَصِلُ الْمَنْفَعَةُ إلَى الْعِبَادِ فَيَزُولُ مِلْكُ الْوَاقِفِ عَنْهُ إلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَيَلْزَمُ وَلَا يُبَاعُ وَلَا يُرْهَنُ وَلَا يُورَثُ قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (الجوهرة النيرة ص333 ج1)

Answered by
Mufti Mohammed Desai
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