31- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَهْزِيَارَ قَالَ قُلْتُ رَوَى بَعْضُ مَوَالِيكَ عَنْ آبَائِكَ (عَلَيْهِم السَّلام) أَنَّ كُلَّ وَقْفٍ إِلَى وَقْتٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى الْوَرَثَةِ وَكُلَّ وَقْفٍ إِلَى غَيْرِ وَقْتٍ مَعْلُومٍ جَهْلٌ مَجْهُولٌ بَاطِلٌ مَرْدُودٌ عَلَى الْوَرَثَةِ وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِقَوْلِ آبَائِكَ فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هُوَ عِنْدِي كَذَا.
31. Ali ibn Mahziyar has said: “I asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), that certain ones of your Mawali (friends or slaves) have narrated from your ancestors the following. ‘All endowments for a known period of time are binding upon the heirs, and all endowments for an unknown period of time are unknown, confusing and invalid that must be returned to the heirs. You know best the words of your ancestors.’ He (the Imam) (a.s.), wrote the answer that said, ‘It, with me, is as such.’” (Apparently he (the Imam) left it unexplained.)