Who is entitled to receive funds from a Waqf designated for 'Sabil Allah' (the way of Allah), travelers (Ibn al-Sabil), slaves (Riqab), or debtors (Gharimin)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Endowments (Awqaf) and Donations
Primary text
Those designated recipients—Sabil Allah, Ibn al-Sabil, Riqab, and Gharimin—are the exclusive beneficiaries of the Waqf funds designated for them, and the funds must not be diverted elsewhere. This is because an unrestricted term in human speech is interpreted according to its established meaning in Sharia. Therefore, the Waqf must be directed to those who are eligible to receive shares from Zakat. If the Waqf is designated for all eight categories eligible for Zakat, the funds must be distributed among them. Each recipient must be given the same amount from the Waqf as they would receive from Zakat, with no addition. Thus, the poor and needy are given enough to suffice them, the debtor is given the amount needed to clear their debt, the indentured slave (Mukatab) is given what is necessary to complete their manumission, the traveler is given what suffices their journey, and the warrior (Ghazi) is given what is needed for his expedition, even if he is wealthy.