العروة الوثقى الزيدية - موقع إسلامي يهدف لتعريف الزائر بفكر وتراث المسلمين الزيدية

The Question

Question: A man holds yields endowed for the Meccan pigeons amounting to about five hundred Saudi riyals. He does not trust handing them to the waqf officials in Mecca or to anyone else, and the Meccan pigeonry is, in general, already well supplied by the abundance of scattered grain everywhere. He wants to rid himself of these funds—what is the solution?

The Answer

Answer—and Allah is the One who grants success: The stronger view to me, after consideration, is that these funds be disbursed to the poor and needy in Mecca, for the following reasons:
1. It is impermissible to hand them to officials who are not trustworthy; whoever gives to them is liable for what he gave—so the jurists of the school have stated.
2. It is impermissible to scatter grain in Mecca for the pigeons when they are already well supplied by the abundance of grain scattered everywhere.
3. Many imams and scholars allow transferring a benefit to what is more beneficial.
4. The pigeons do not own what is endowed to them from the yields; if they are sufficiently provided for, the waqf is to be disbursed to other avenues of piety that draw one near to Allah.

Source: Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.2