A wrestling ground on waqf land

Question

Question: There is a khanqah (Sufi lodge), and in it a small piece of land has been assigned for wrestlers to do wrestling and the like. The former mutawallis did not know that bringing waqf property into one’s own use is not permissible; so those old mutawallis were for some reason removed and other mutawallis were appointed. These mutawallis forbade those who wrestle and so on on this land, since they do it contrary to the Shari‘a, that is, with their ‘awra (satr) uncovered; but they did not desist.

Answer

Making a wrestling ground on waqf land that was endowed for the dhikr and spiritual occupation of the people of Allah is contrary to the purpose of the waqif (endower); therefore it is impermissible. And wrestling with the ‘awra uncovered is not permissible anywhere at all.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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