Selling Leftover Candles and Spending the Proceeds on the Imam’s Salary and the Like

Question

Candles and the like that exceed the needs of the mosque — will it be permissible to sell them and apply the proceeds to some other purpose, such as the salary of the mosque’s imam, the muezzin’s salary, the mosque’s mats and the like, or not? For these purposes are contrary to the intention of the waqif (endower), since the waqif gave them only to be burned.

Answer

The person who gives candles for the mosque should be asked whether he permits that, if they exceed the mosque’s needs, they be sold and spent on the other needs of the mosque. Once he gives permission, there is no difficulty. If someone has endowed land for the welfare needs (masalih)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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