Carpets
Question :

If one mosque has many donated carpets by way of waqf, and other mosques in the city do not have enough carpets, is it possible to give carpets from first mosque to another mosque for permanent use?

Answer :

If the carpets donated as religious endowment (waqf) were many in quantity, such that the mosque does not require them all and are therefore not used, it is permissible to transfer it to another mosque. Otherwise it is not permissible.

Certificate of Incorporation
Question :

A Muslim appoints someone as his agent (wakil) in a Western country, and gives him money to buy land, build a mosque on it, and make it waqf. To execute the intention of the endower (waqif) and preserve the waqf property in the Western country, a charitable organization must be registered with the government along with a document called a “certificate of incorporation” that mentions the name of the organization, address, trustees, purposes and activities. Is this “Certificate of Incorporation” the same as “seeghat al-waqf”?

Answer :

If the intention of the endower was to establish the waqf based on the official documentation, then the waqf is established and one should act upon it.

200 Years Old Hussainia
Question :

There is a property which is 200 years old being commonly used by all Shia Muslims as a Hussainiya. Will this property be considered as endowment?

Answer :

If the people have been dealing with the said property as a religious endowment, one should consider it as such unless proven otherwise.

Unknown Endowment
Question :

In the case of public endowments, if only the endower knows that the item is a waqf but the public does not know that, is the waqf established?

Answer :

The religious endowment is correct even if nobody is informed.

Question of Waqf Return
Question :

My Grandmother has declared her house as a Hussainia. Later she decided to sell it. Is she allowed to do so?

Answer :

If the house was placed under endowment in a religiously correct way, it is not permissible to dissolve it and return it to a private ownership.

The Possession of the Endowment
Question :

If someone declares something to be waqf and it is still in his possession, is the waqf established?

Answer :

If the beneficiary of the endowment was a general reference, such as needy people, or a private one that does not include the endower himself, then it is correct. The endower must pass the possession of the waqf to the beneficiaries or the custodian of the waqf. The endower is allowed to appoint himself as the custodian on the waqf property; he should then look after it for the best interest of the beneficiaries.