The Matters Permissible in Endowment, Charity, Gift, Present, Providing Conditional Housing and Matters Permissible or otherwise for a Child and others

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Giving charity or setting free a slave is not valid unless it is for the sake of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Giving charity or setting free a slave is not valid unless it is for the sake of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.’”

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Charity has emerged newly. In the time of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, people would give gifts…

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who gives charity; if he can take it back. He (the Imam) said, ‘Charity is new. There were gifts and grants. One who provides a gift or a grant is able to take…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who gives charity (which is not obligatory) to his small children; if he can take it back. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because charity is for Allah, most…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about charity which is not distributed or possessed by the recipient. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is permissible (for the donor to use it); people had the intention to gift it but they…

“This is about the case of a man who gives charity to his grown up (mature) children. They do not take possession until he dies. Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘It remains as part of the legacy; but if he gives it as…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you give charity, then do not take it back or buy it back unless it comes back to you in the form of an inherited legacy.”’

“About the case of a man who gives something to his small children then he decides to make his other children share it with them, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“This is about the case of a man who gives a slave-girl as charity to his small children. He then begins to like the slave-girl but the children are small as his dependents, if he can touch the slave-girl, or appraise…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the gift still exists as it was given, it can be taken back, otherwise, one cannot do so.’”

“This is about the case of a man who has a slave-girl and his wife gives him trouble about her. Thus, he says, ‘She is charity for you.’ One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al- Salam, has said,…

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man to whom another man owes a certain amount of dirham and he gives it as a gift to him (the indebted); if he can change his mind and take it back. He (the Imam)…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who gives a certain amount of charity to his friend; if he can change his mind and take it back from him. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so but if he…

“About the case of a man who gives something in charity if he can inherit it, one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who gives a gift to his mother and she dies. She had taken the gift away from him in her possession. He (the Imam) said, ‘He and the other heirs are the same…

“I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), that my mother gave me the house that belonged to her - or he said her share in a house - and told me to register it in my name. I then wrote that I have bought it from her. She has…

“My father gave a house as charity to me and I took possession thereof but thereafter other children were born to him and he wanted to take the house back from me to give it to them. I explained the story to abu ‘Abd…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a gift-giver receives something in exchange, he then cannot take back what he has given as gift.’”

If one gives a charity it is permissible, regardless of whether the recipient takes possession or not, knows about it or does not know about it.’”

People must stand by their conditions. If his condition is permission to use the house for his life time, it then is for his life time. If it is for the life time of those whom he leaves behind, then it is for their life…

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about al-Sukna ’ and al-‘Umra’ (permission to use a house for a certain period of time). He (the Imam) said, ‘If permission to use the house is given for his lifetime, then it must…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has a servant who serves him and he says, ‘She will serve so and so as long as he lives, and when he dies she will be free. The servant runs away five or…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a house which is not yet distributed and a certain one of the people of the house gives his share as charity. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is permissible.’ I then asked, ‘What…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who allows another man to use a house and those whom he will leave behind. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is permissible but they cannot sell or inherit it.’ I asked…

“About the case of a man who gives in charity what is owned in partnership, abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is permissible.’”

“I was witness that ibn abu Layla’ judged in the case of a man who had designated the income of a house for his relative without the mention of time limit. The man died and his heirs came to ibn abu Layla’ and his…

“About an issue of a legacy for distribution I once faced differences with ibn abu Layla’. In that legacy, there was an item on hold and he opposed me. When it prolonged I complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who endowed an asset that belonged to him for his relatives from his father’s side as well as for those from his mother’s side. He assigned from the same asset…

“I once wrote to abu Ja‘far ‘Alayhi al-Salam, that so and so has bought a certain asset. He has made it an endowment of which one-fifth is designated for you. He seeks your opinion about selling your share of the land,…

It, with me, is as such.’” (Apparently he (the Imam) left it unexplained.)

32. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Hamadaniy wrote to him (the Imam) (a.s.), the following: “‘A deceased person has made a will which says that to so and so man an amount must be given continuously of what is left of the…

“I once wrote to him (the Imam), abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I do not have any children and I have assets that I inherited from my father and myself earned a…

An endowment is according to what people making the endowment do (condition they set), by the will of Allah.”’

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I have bought a land near by my assets for two thousand dirham. When I made payment, I was informed that the land is…

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who makes a piece of his property an endowment, then decides to change it. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has made it an endowment for his children and others and…

“I once wrote to abu Ja‘far, al-Thaniy (a.s.), and asked about a land that my grandfather had made an endowment for the needy children of so and so who are of a large number in different places. He (the Imam) (a.s.),…

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), about the case of a man who has given a house to a man to live in for his lifetime, or it is for him and those whom he leaves behind, as the condition may be. I then said, ‘If…

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has given a house to a man to live for the lifetime of the occupant of the house. When the owner dies, the heirs ask the occupant to leave the house; if…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), dictated to me the following:

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘A man cannot buy what he has given as charity. If he gives as charity a house to a relative then if he likes he can live with them. If he gives in charity a servant to a relative he can…