Promising Money to a Mosque and Not Giving It

Question

A certain Abu al-Hasan, on behalf of his father, promised to give three hundred rupees to the mutawalli (trustee) of the neighbourhood mosque for the neighbourhood mosque, and gave a written instruction to the merchant-moneylender with whom Abu al-Hasan had dealings, to pay three hundred rupees to the mutawalli of the mosque for the neighbourhood mosque. But now, after 5–6 months, Abu al-Hasan is backing away from giving the money.

Answer

This is not a case of waqf, in which the matter passes out of the control of the waqif (endower) and the waqif becomes powerless; rather, this is a donation and a promise for the future. As long as possible, the promise should be fulfilled; one should not break a promise merely out of love of wealth or because of minor hardship, for that is blameworthy in the Shari‘a.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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