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  • Act 19 of 1873 (Agra), S. 97
  • S. 35, Act 3 of 1901,
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Cites
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Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Case Number
Judges
Acts
  • Act 19 of 1873 (Agra), S. 97
  • S. 35, Act 3 of 1901,
Smart Summary

Structured Summary of the Opinion (Bennet, J.)

Factual and Procedural Background

This is a first appeal by Mt. Alimunnisa Bibi (the plaintiff) against a decree of the Civil Judge of Azamgarh dismissing her suit for possession of a 7/88 sehams share of the estate of her deceased father, Alauddin. The suit sought possession of property described in Schedules A and B (zamindari property) and Schedule C (houses). Alauddin died on 5 February 1932.

The defendants included Alauddin's two adult sons (Abdur Rahman and Abdur Rahim), minor sons and daughters, and his two wives: Mt. Amina Bibi (defendant 7) and Mt. Sakina Bibi (defendant 8), who is the plaintiff's mother and who supported the plaintiff's claim. The defendants contested the claim on the basis that some of the property was subject to two deeds of wakf: one executed by Saheb Ali Khan (great‑grandfather) dated 4 February 1864 (document at pp. 91–94), and one executed by Alauddin dated 2 September 1916 (pp. 95–103). The Court below held both deeds genuine and carried into effect.

The sole grounds argued in this appeal were the validity and effect of those two deeds of wakf (the 1864 and the 1916 deeds). The appellate court considered admissibility of a certified copy, the construction of the 1864 deed, the significance of mutation entries, and the circumstances and intention surrounding the 1916 deed.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the certified copy of the 1864 registered wakf document (pp. 91–94) was admissible in evidence despite the original not being produced.
  2. Whether the document of 4 February 1864 constituted a valid deed of wakf (i.e., whether the villages themselves or only the profits were dedicated) and if it was carried into effect.
  3. Whether the deed of wakf dated 2 September 1916 executed by Alauddin was a fictitious/farzi instrument designed to defeat a dower claim, or whether it was a valid, operative wakf duly acted upon.
  4. Whether absence or irregularity of mutation (entries in revenue records) undermines the validity of a wakf executed before statutory mutation requirements existed or where mutation was delayed or irregular.

Arguments of the Parties

Appellant's Arguments (summarized)

  • The certified copy of the 1864 registered document was inadmissible because no witness stated that the original had been lost.
  • The 1864 document was not a deed of wakf but merely a deed of partition, or at most a dedication of profits only, not of the villages themselves.
  • The absence of mutation entries in 1864 and delayed or incomplete mutation later indicate that the 1864 deed was not carried into effect.
  • The 1916 deed was executed by Alauddin as a sham (farzi) to defeat the dower suit filed by his wife Sakina Bibi (and thereby limit the claims of the plaintiff and her mother); evidence included statements that the deed would be "waste paper" after the suit and that Alauddin sought legal assistance to defeat the dower claim.
  • The 1916 deed did not explicitly show transfer of possession from Alauddin as owner to possession as mutwalli (argued as a defect in form).
  • The alleged transactions and compromises with tenants cited by defendants show dealings inconsistent with wakf status for the property covered by the 1916 deed.

Defendants' Arguments (summarized)

  • Both deeds (1864 and 1916) are genuine deeds of wakf and were carried into effect; certified copies and oral evidence support this.
  • The 1864 deed contains language dedicating villages (not merely profits) and appointing a mutawalli; the restriction on descendants transferring the property indicates dedication of the villages themselves.
  • There was no statutory duty to report succession or transfer by mutation in 1864 (that duty arose in 1873 and is now in Section 34 of Act 3 of 1901), so absence of mutation in 1864 is unsurprising and not destructive of the deed's validity.
  • The 1916 deed contains an explicit declaration that Alauddin would remain mutawalli during his life, and later mutation entries and administrative practice (accounts, appointment of mutawalli after Alauddin's death) show the property was administered as wakf.
  • Evidence of settlement of dower and other dealings does not demonstrate that the 1916 deed was a sham as the particular endowed shares are distinguishable in records and some documents cited by appellant relate to different shares.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
19 ALJ 2271 (at p. 231) Where the settlor appoints himself mutawalli there is no need for formal delivery of possession; a declaration of wakf and appointment of mutawalli can suffice to show transmutation of possession. The court relied on this principle to conclude that the statement in the 1916 deed that Alauddin would remain mutawalli amounted to a transmutation of possession and that formal delivery was not a prerequisite to validity where the settlor is mutawalli.
1930 ALJ 1092 (at p. 113) Where the settlor appoints himself mutawalli, the vital factor is transmutation of possession; the wakf can prevail even without mutation or despite delay in mutation. The court invoked this authority to support the conclusion that delay or absence of mutation entries does not invalidate a wakf if possession has been transmuted by the settlor's declaration and conduct.
AIR 1922 Cal 429 Delivery of possession is not a pre‑requisite to validity of a wakf where the settlor is the mutawalli; formal delivery is not essential in such cases. The court used this decision to reinforce its view that Alauddin's declaration of being mutawalli in the 1916 deed sufficed for validity without formal transfer of possession.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The court's analysis proceeds in a sequence that mirrors the issues raised on appeal:

  1. Admissibility of the certified copy (1864 deed). The court accepted the certified copy from the registration office as admissible because defendant 1, Abdur Rahman, in evidence stated that the original wakfnama executed by Saheb Ali Khan could not be found. Given the lapse of about 70 years since 1864, non‑production of the original was not surprising and the certified copy was therefore admissible. The point had not been raised below.
  2. Construction of the 1864 document. The appellant argued it was merely partition or a dedication of profits only. The court interpreted the language (including the phrase translated as dedication of profits "from the shares in the villages of Jamalpur, etc.") as indicating that the villages themselves were made into wakf. Key reasoning points:
    • The words indicate part of the property was "set apart" for charitable purposes and the remainder divided among heirs — i.e., partition of the remainder but dedication of a specific portion.
    • The proviso forbidding descendants from selling or mortgaging the property suggested that the villages themselves (not merely a right to profits) were dedicated.
    • The villages in question were not included among property allotted to heirs, which supports the view that they had been dedicated rather than merely having their profits diverted.
    • Para. 11 (obligations of the eldest son to manage the ilaqa) was construed as referring to the ilaqa in Azamgarh which was the subject of the dedication, not the settlor's entire estate.
  3. Effect of absence or delay of mutation entries for the 1864 deed. The court explained that the statutory duty to report succession or transfer by mutation was first imposed in Act 19 of 1873 (Agra) and is now in Section 34 of Act 3 of 1901 (U.P. Land Revenue Act). Therefore, absence of mutation in 1864 cannot be taken as evidence that the deed was not carried out, because there was no duty to make such an entry at the time. The court also emphasized that later negligence or irregularity in khewat entries does not invalidate a valid wakf created in 1864.
  4. Evidence of treatment as wakf (1864 property). The court found a "considerable body of oral evidence" showing the property in Schedule A had been treated as endowed property. Although some mutation entries were late or irregular, the court held these were not decisive against the validity of the deed.
  5. Circumstances and intention surrounding the 1916 deed. The court accepted that the factual circumstances of dispute (Alauddin's conflict with his wife Sakina Bibi, the pauper suit for dower filed on 1 September 1916, and Alauddin's efforts to defeat that claim) were as the appellant alleged. However, the court declined to accept the appellant's inference that the 1916 deed was a sham intended only to defeat the dower suit for these reasons:
    • If the deed had been intended merely as a temporary sham to be abandoned after the dower suit, Alauddin would have had no reason to maintain it as valid when he settled the dower suit by paying in full; but he did not repudiate the deed or call it waste paper.
    • Alauddin lived 16 years after executing the 1916 deed and never executed any document repudiating the wakf nor disposed of the property by sale or mortgage, which would have been expected if the deed were a mere sham.
    • Alleged transactions with tenants cited by the appellant were shown by the court to relate to different shares or plots and not necessarily to the property dedicated by the 1916 deed; the appellant had not produced khatauni entries to substantiate the claimed connection.
  6. Form and transmutation of possession in the 1916 deed. The court acknowledged that a deed of endowment should indicate that the settlor relinquished ownership and took possession as mutwalli. It found that the 1916 deed contained the necessary declaration ("As long as I am alive I shall remain the mutwalli of the property made a wakf of..."), and that precedent supports the proposition that, where the settlor is the first mutwalli, formal delivery of possession is not required. The court cited authorities (19 ALJ 2271; 1930 ALJ 1092; AIR 1922 Cal 429) to this effect and relied on a mutation order (case No. 436) in which Alauddin was entered as mutwalli of certain villages on production of the registered deed of wakf of 1916.
  7. Evidence of administration as wakf and credibility findings. The court noted documentary and oral evidence that the properties were administered as wakf: a certified copy of a mutation order showing Alauddin entered as mutwalli of three villages, evidence of wakf account auditing (D.W. M. Mohammad Enam Ullah), and testimony that grants from the wakf benefited local schools. The court preferred the defendants' evidence over the plaintiff's and found the defendants' account that the deeds had been given effect to more credible.
  8. Conclusion of analysis. Taking the above points together, the court concluded both the 1864 and the 1916 documents were valid deeds of wakf and had been acted upon, and therefore the plaintiff had no ground to disturb the portion of the lower court's decree dismissing her suit in so far as the properties in Schedules A, B and C were concerned.

Holding and Implications

APPEAL DISMISSED.

Direct consequences and immediate effects:

  • The first appeal of Mt. Alimunnisa Bibi is dismissed with costs.
  • The appellate court affirmed the lower court's dismissal of the plaintiff's suit in respect of the properties in Schedules A, B and C on the ground that the two wakf deeds (1864 and 1916) are valid and were carried into effect.

The opinion does not purport to establish any novel legal principle beyond applying existing authorities on transmutation of possession, the effect of appointment of mutwalli, and the limited significance of delayed or absent mutation entries for deeds executed before the statutory duty to report by mutation existed. The decision is presented as an application of established law to the facts of this case.

D.S/R.K

Order: Appeal dismissed.

    Mt. Alimunnisa Bibi v. Mohammad Abdur Rahman

    Bennet, J.:— This is a first appeal by Mt. Alimunnisa Bibi, the plaintiff, against a decree of the Civil Judge of Azamgarh dismissing her suit asking for possession of 7/88 sehams share of the estate of her deceased father Alauddin in Schs. A and B, the zamindari property, and Sch. C, houses. The father, Alauddin, died on 5th February 1932. The defendants comprise the two sons of Alauddin, Abdur Rahman and Abdur Rahim, who are of full age, and minor sons and daughters and the two wives of Alauddin, defendant 7, Mt. Amina Bibi, and defendant 8, Mt. Sakina Bibi, who was the mother of the plaintiff. The mother of the plaintiff naturally supported the claim of the plaintiff but on behalf of the other defendants the claim was contested on the ground that the zamindari property in Sch. A had been the subject of a wakf by Saheb Ali Khan, the great-grandfather of the plaintiff, on 4th February 1864, by the document printed on pp. 91 to 94, and that the property in lists B and C had been the subject of a wakf by Alauddin, the father of the plaintiff, on 2nd September 1916, pp. 95 to 103. The Court below held that these two deeds of wakf were genuine and had been carried out. No mention had been made of the first deed of wakf in the plaint but in regard to the second it was alleged that the deed of wakf of 1916 was one which was fictitious and had not been intended to be carried out and that it was executed by Alauddin because his wife Mt. Sakina Bibi had sent him a registered notice on 25th August 1916 and on 1st September 1916 she had filed a suit claiming her dower in forma pauperis. The question of the validity of these two deeds of wakf has been argued before us in appeal and these are the only grounds on which the appeal has been argued. The document beginning on p. 91 of 4th February 1864 is a registered document and has been proved by a certified copy. Learned counsel argues that a certified copy was not admissible as there was no statement of any witness on the record that the original had been lost. This is incorrect because on page 35, line 15 it is stated by defendant 1, Abdur Rahman, in evidence:

    The wakfnama exaouted by Saheb Ali Khan could not be found as also the original wakfnama executed by my father.

    2. That the original document could not be found is not surprising after a lapse of 70 years. The certified copy obtained from the registration office is therefore admissible in evidence. This point, we may note, was not taken in the Court below. Much argument has been addressed to us in regard to the document of 4th February 1864 and learned counsel for appellant argued firstly that the document was a mere deed of partition and not a deed of wakf at all. This argument is founded on the words on page 91, line 22:

    I ….have divided the entire milak land owned and possessed by me as given below between my heirs. I have set apart a portion of my property for charitable purposes.

    3. We consider that these words mean that part of the property was set apart and what was divided was the remainder. The document therefore is a partition deed so far as the remainder is concerned but that does not prevent it being a deed of wakf so far as the portion for charitable purposes is concerned. The next argument addressed to us was that the document only provided for the dedication of the profits of certain villages to be used for religious and charitable purposes and did not provide for the villages themselves to be made into wakf property. This is purely a question of construction of the document. The following clause is important:

    Dafa 2. — Hissa Mawaze Jamalpur waghaira mutaaleqa taluqa Milk Abdullah wa chhatwin hissa mauza Sarai Sadi pargana Ghosi wa chhatwin hissa mama Deokali pargana Muhammadabad aur sawa nau anna (9¼ annas) hissa mauza Lawasath pargana Nathupur sila Azamgarh he munafe ko bad waze malguzari wa ekhrajate zaruri ke ham muqir ne mai kitabhae kutubkhana waste masarife khair ke waqf moabbad kiya waqean sarihan aur sliaran mutawalli uska apni aulad men Maulvi Abdul Aziz Khan ko qarar diya chahiye mutawalli maskur hamesha mahasile dehat mauqufa mazkura ko sarfe masjid o madarsae haramaine Sharifain wa zadrahe warido sadir waghaira hash fard alaheda nzitnshta omuhri hamare kiya karain aur hamesha mutawalli ashyae mauqufa ka hamare aulad se jo ahl horahe kare wa ghair shakhsya khelafe mazhab be zariae tauliat dost andaz na hoga aur kisi shakhs ko hamare aulad se nisbat ashyae mazhhura ke ekhtayar bai o rehan waghaira inteqalat ka haq be hoga.

    4. This passage may be translated as follows:

    I have made a waqf of the profits from the shares in the villages of Jamalpur, etc., the villages appertaining to taluqa Malik Abdulla 1/6th share in the village of Sarai Sadi, pargana Ghosi, 1/6th share in the village of Deokali, pargana Muhammadabad Gohna, 9¼ share in the village of Lawasath, pargana Nathupur, district Azamgarh, with the books in my library for charitable purposes after paying Government revenue and defraying necessary expenses. The said wakf is correct and lawful. I have appointed Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Aziz Khan as mutawalli of the said wakf. The mutawalli aforesaid should spend the profits from the villages made a wakf of on mosque and znadrasa and Mecca and Medina and on visitors etc. as given in a separate list executed by me. Any one of my descendants who may be found fit for holding the office of mutwalli of the property made a wakf of should be appointed mutwalli. Any other person holding views contrary to the religion shall not interfere with them mutwalliship. Nona of my descendants shall have a right to make a transfer in respect of the aforesaid property by way of sale and mortgage, etc.

    5. A slight change may have been made in the translation on p. 91 in regard to the books in the library. Now learned counsel argues that this passage means that the profits only were dedicated and not the villages from which those profits arose. As regards the first use of the word “profits” we consider that this is a direction to the mutwalli as to the way in which he is to apply the net profits after paying the Government revenue. The words on which counsel also argued were “mahasile dehat mauqufa”. Learned counsel argued that the words “mauqufa” must go with the word “mahasile” and that this meant the profits which were made wakf, but we consider that as the word “dehat” comes between the words “mahasile” and “mauqufa,” it is the word “dehat” which must be taken with the word “mauqufa” and the expression means the profits of those villages which villages have been made into a wakf, or in other words, the profits from the villages dedicated. At the end of this para. 2 there is the provision that none of the descendants should have any right to make a transfer of the property by way of sale and mortgage. Such a provision in our opinion is only appropriate on the theory that what is dedicated is the villages themselves as no question would arise of the sale or mortgage of a mere right to receive profits from a village. Another reason which inclines us to the view that the villages themselves were dedicated is the fact that these four villages, Jamalpur, Sarai Sadi, Deokali and Lawasath, are not in the list of property which was given to any of the heirs of the executant. If profits only were to be the subject of dedication then the villages themselves would have been divided among the heirs. The fact that the villages were not divided among the heirs indicates that the villages themselves were the subject of the dedication. We may note that besides the three villages of Sarai Sadi, Deokali and Lawasath this para. 2 deals with “the villages Jamalpur, etc. appertaining to taluqa Malik Abdulla.” These are not set out in the document but in the subsequent deed of wakf of 2nd September 1916 on p. 101 these villages are shown to be Jamalpur, Baraipar Milk and Bhitauli Milk. These six villages are not referred to in the deed of wakf of 1864 as divided among the heirs. The villages which are divided among the heirs are shown in para. 3 of p. 92 which are all in Ghazipur District. The villages which were the subject of the endowment in 1864 on the contrary are all in Azamgarh District. Some further argument was made by learned counsel in regard to p. 93, para. 11 which stated:

    It shall be incumbent upon my eldest son Maulvi Muhammad Abdul Aziz Khan to make the management of the ilaqa according to the direction given above to keep the madrasa, etc.

    6. Now learned counsel argued that this meant that Abdul Aziz was to manage the whole of the property and that the ilaqa referred to the whole of the property which had originally belonged to Saheb Ali Khan. We do not think that this meaning is necessarily to be read into that word. On p. 91 line 33 the document refers to the ilaqa of the sons and then follows the reference to the property in Azamgarh District which was dedicated. We think therefore that in para. 11 the ilaqa to which the executant refers is probably the ilaqa in Azamgarh which was the subject of the dedication in para. 2. Another reason why this should be so is that it was not provided by the document that Abdul Aziz should have control over the property allotted to his two brothers. On the contrary what was provided in para. 3 was that:

    They should work in consultation with one another or depend upon the opinion of Maulvi Abdul Aziz Khan in matters of dismissal and appointment of servants, etc.

    7. Therefore the method in which learned counsel for appellant desires to represent para. 11 would be contradictory to what is provided in para. 3 where it was left a matter of option to the brothers as to whether they should leave the matter to Abdul Aziz, the eldest brother, or not. Another argument which was made in regard to this document was that there was no effect given to the document by mutation. The document stated on p. 91, line 40 that the eldest son, Abdul Aziz, had been appointed as mutawalli. The fact that the executant divested himself of any control of the property is shown by p. 92, line 50 stating that Abdul Aziz was even to draw the pension for the executant from the Government Treasury and distribute it in a certain way, sending only Rs. 30 per mensem to the executant wherever he was residing. The executant therefore divested himself of all control of the property according to the deed and put his eldest son in control as mutwalli of the portions of which he made a dedication. The executant was at the time an old man and he died in the year 1866, two years after executing this document. We may briefly note the origin of the system of mutation. Bengal Regn. 3 of 1803 provided in S. 11 that Civil Courts should furnish copies of all decrees affecting landed property for record in the Collector's office. At the time of settlement of the land revenue it was provided by Regn. 7 of 1822, S. 9 that there should be a “specification of all persons enjoying the possession and property of the soil, etc.” It was not until Act 19 of 1873 (Agra), S. 97 that the law imposed on persons obtaining possession by succession or transfer or any proprietary or other right in a mahal the duty of making a report of such succession or transfer to the Tahsildar. This duty is now imposed by Section 34 of the Act 3 of 1901, the present U.P Land Revenue Act. As the duty of making such a report was imposed for the first time in 1873, there was no duty to make the report in 1864 when the deed of wakf was executed. The argument of learned counsel, Mr. Khwaja, for the appellant that the absence of mutation in 1864 shows that the deed of 1864 was not carried into effect, is therefore unsound, as there was no system of mutation for such deeds at that period.

    8. There is a considerable body of oral evidence which shows that this property, list A of the plaint, the subject of this endowment of 1864, has always been treated as endowed property. In the later registered deed of wakf of 1916 on page 101 the list of property made a wakf of by Saheb Ali Khan is set out and on page 100, line 35 it is stated that property would remain as a wakf property in accordance with the object of the deceased donor of the wakf. For the appellant it is pointed out that mutation not having been made at a period when the document of 1864 was executed, there was mutation at a much later date, for example on page 145 it is not until the year 1340 F. that we have the entry for the village of Deokali that it was dedicated property. Previous khewats have not been produced and it is argued that if previous khewats showed the wakf they would have been produced. On page 142 for Sarai Sadi the entry is of Alauddin for the year 1339 F. and the word mutwalli is not used. The case of Jamalpur on page 138 is similar foe the year 1338 F. On page 132 for mauza Lawasath there is the entry of Alauddin and Muhammad Nasir, another member of the family, in equal shares for the year 1327 F. and for this village for the year 1330 F. on page 133 there is a mutation shown in accordance with an order of 23rd January 1923 that these two persons are entered as managers, the property being owned by Almighty God. Learned counsels comments on the fact that two members of the family are entered as managers and he argues that only one person should be mutwalli. The deed is not clear on the point that only one person should be the mut walli, but a mere irregularity in the subsequent entry in the khewat cannot in any way make the deed of wakf an invalid deed. What we have to regard is the intention of the executant in 1864 and whether the registered document which he executed carried out that intention and created a valid deed of wakf at that date. If the deed of wakf was validly created as we consider it was, then the mere fact that subsequently members of the family were negligent in getting mutation made in the correct manner when the system of khewats was first introduced with the first Revenue Act in this Province, Act 19 of 1873 (Agra), at a much later date, is a matter which has no bearing on the question of the validity of the wakf.

    9. We now turn to the second deed of wakf which begins at page 95 and is dated 2nd September 1916. We concede to the plaintiff-appellant that this deed of wakf was executed under the circumstances which she alleges. In the year 1916 Alauddin had two wives living, his first wife having died. One of these wives, Mt. Amina Bibi, was aged 28. His other wife, Mt. Sakina Bibi, the mother of the plaintiff, was aged 43. These ages are taken from the plaint. Now some cause of dispute had arisen between Alauddin and Sakina Bibi. Sakina Bibi had a single child, the plaintiff, who was at that time 13 years old. Sakina Bibi brought a claim for dower and filed an application to sue as a pauper on 1st September 1916. The evidence shows that Alauddin desired to defeat that claim and that he went to various lawyers for assistance in defeating that claim. Now it is obvious that Alauddin was extremely annoyed with his wife Sakina Bibi and presumably also with her daughter, the plaintiff, and that he desired to defeat the claim for dower and that he also desired to limit the amount which these people could receive from his property. The suggestion made by learned counsel for the appellant is that Alauddin was advised to achieve this object by executing a deed of wakf which would be farzi, and evidence is called to show that he was told that as soon as the suit for dower was completed, the deed of wakf might be abandoned. On p. 27, line 13 it is stated by a witness for the plaintiff that his master said that this wakfnama would save that property from being taken in execution of decree for dower, but that after that decree it would be a mere waste paper. This is evidence given by the scribe of the wakfnama who was the muharrir of the vakil under whose orders, he says, the document was drawn up. The point which occurs to us is that Alauddin desired not only to defeat the claim for dower but also to reduce the claims of the plaintiff and her mother against his estate to a small sum as the document at p. 97 gives an allowance to the plaintiff Alimunnissa Bibi of Rs. 36 per annum, i.e Rs. 3 p.m and the allowance for her mother, Mt. Sakina Bibi, is Rs. 60 per annum or Rs. 5 p.m Now if the document was going to be treated as waste paper as soon as the suit for dower had finished then the right of the plaintiff would not have been defeated at all. We do not consider therefore that the theory that the document was to be treated merely for the period of the suit for dower is a correct theory. The object of Alauddin would be the permanent limitation of his wife Sakina Bibi and the plaintiff, her daughter, to a small amount from his estate, Rs. 5 and 3 respectively. He could only achieve that object if he executed a valid deed of wakf. This is a strong reason for considering that was his intention as a mere nominal or farzi deed of wakf would not effect that intention. As regards the suit for dower we may note that what did happen was that the dower was eventually paid in full by Alauddin to his wife with certain property which came to him by gift from his mother. It is remarkable that when he came to a settlement with Sakina Bibi about her dower he did not merely say: “The document which I executed as a deed of wakf is not a genuine deed of wakf and I repudiate it and give you a share of the property.” That would be the action which we would expect him to take if he had merely executed the deed of wakf with the intention that it should be used to defeat the suit for dower, for when he acceded to the demand for dower and came to a settlement, on the theory of the appellant, there would have been no further need whatever to maintain the validity of the deed of wakf. The fact that he did maintain the validity of that deed and did not interfere with it at all when he made the settlement for dower is in our opinion a strong point against the theory of the appellant. Moreover Alauddin lived for 16 years after this deed of 1916 as he did not die until 1932. During the whole of that long period of 16 years he never executed any document, repudiating the deed of wakf, nor did he ever make any transfer of the property comprised in the deed of wakf by way of sale or mortgage. All that learned counsel for the appellant is able to point to are certain cases in which there were disputes with tenants and in one of which there was a settlement by the acknowledgment of a tenant as one holding a perpetual lease. No doubt under the Mahomedan law a mutwalli is not entitled to make a permanent lease of property which is wakf, but learned counsel has failed to satisfy us that the property concerned in those transactions was property which was under the deed of wakf of 2nd September 1916. On the contrary it has been shown that there was this property which was given to Alauddin by his mother and the villages in question may be villages in which there was such a share. At p. 112 there is this deed of compromise between a number of zamindars one of whom was Alauddin and a tenant admitting the right of the tenant to a perpetual lease in certain plots in the villages of Kundri, Pargana Pachotar, and Nasirpur, Pargana Pachotar in Ghazipur District. Now the khewat of mauza Kundri on pp. 136 and 137 in Ghazipur District shows that in holding No. 5 there was 2 p. 10 kants held by Alauddin and he is not stated to be a mutwalli. On the other hand on p. 101 for Kundri Pargana Pachotar, printed by error as “kadri,” there is the share shown as endowed property of 1 a. 8 p. 10 kants. It is clear therefore that the share which was endowed by the document of 1916 was a different share from the small share held by Alauddin on pp. 136 and 137. It is quite possible therefore that the plot numbers on p. 113 referred to the small share on p. 136 which apparently Alauddin had received from his mother. The plaintiff appellant could have made this matter clear by producing the khatauni. But this has not been produced. We cannot make the presumption against the defendant unless the matter has been properly proved. Now as regards Nasirpur at p. 113, this is a village of Ghazipur District as the suit was in Ghazipur. On p. 101 there is this village Nasirpur of which 1 a. 8 p. 16 kants was dedicated in 1916. Learned counsel referred to a khewat of Nasirpur on p. 141, but that is a khewat not of Ghazipur District but of pargana Muhammadabad Gohna in Azamgarh District, and this khewat does not refer to the village which was endowed of the name of Nasirpur, nor does it refer to the deed of compromise of mauza Nasirpur on p. 113. Learned counsel has therefore quite failed to show that there was any connexion between the deed of compromise with the tenant on pp. 111 and 113 and the property which was endowed. Another argument was made by learned counsel that the deed of wakf of Alauddin was defective as it did not set out that Alauddin relinquished his possession as owner and took possession as mutwalli. We agree that a deed of endowment should make a statement to this effect conveying this idea. There is on p. 96, line 9 the following statement in the deed:

    As long as I am alive I shall remain the mutwalli of the property made a wakf of and shall abide by all the conditions laid down in this deed of wakf.

    10. In our opinion this statement does amount to a statement that the possession of the executant ceased as a private owner and his possession began as a mutwalli. Learned counsel has not shown us any ruling in which it is laid down that any particular form of words must be used to convey this idea. In 19 ALJ 2271 at p. 231 there was a case before a Bench of this Court where it is stated:

    The facts as found by the learned Subordinate Judge are that Abdul Latif Khan did intend to create a valid wakf—did intend to make a genuine dedication. He declared the property to be wakf, he appointed a mutwalli (i.e himself) and as he himself was the mutwalli there was no need of formal transfer of possession.

    11. In 1930 ALJ 1092 at page 113 it is stated:

    Where the settlor after declaring the trust, appoints himself a mutwalli, the vital factor, which counts is the transmutation of possession and where the character of the possession has altered by reason of the fact that possession is no longer held in the exercise of any right of ownership but vicariously for the benefit of the objects of the trust, the wakf prevails, in spite of the fact that there had been no mutation at all or that there was some delay in effecting the mutation.

    12. In AIR 1922 Cal 429,3 it was held that where the settlor is mutwalli,

    delivery of possession is not a pre-requisite to the validity of the wakf and even if the transmutation of possession is necessary no formal delivery is essential where the settlor is himself the first mutwalli.

    13. We consider that the language of the deed of wakf of 1916 is clear on the point that possession was henceforth to be held by Alauddin as mutwalli and after that provision there follows a long and detailed provision for the appointment of mutwallis who would succeed him. We may note that on p. 129 there is a certified copy of an order in mutation case No. 436 which shows that on the application of Alauddin his name was removed and he was entered as the mutwalli of three villages, Kondri, Nasirpur, and Khalispur in Ghazipur District, on his producing the registered deed of wakf of 1916. The comment for the appellant is that mutation orders should have been shown for all the villages on p. 101. It may have been difficult to obtain mutation orders as they may have been weeded out in other tahsils. Learned counsel argued that because there was a mention of a fine, mutation may not have been made if the fine was not paid. But S. 35, Act 3 of 1901, requires the tahsildar to make the entry if the succession or transfer has taken place, and he has no power to make the entry conditional on the payment of a fine, so presumably the entry was made as ordered. On p. 127 there is an order dated 25th July 1932 by the District Judge of Azamgarh on the death of Alauddin mutwalli calling on persons to object ??? the appointment of Abdur Rahman, defendant 1, as mutwalli in his place. The change was made. On p. 41 there is the evidence of D.W.M Mohammad Enam Ullah, vakil of Azamgarh that he has been ??? official auditor of wakf accounts for Azamgarh District since 1928 and that he has checked the wakf accounts filed by defendant 1 Abdur Rahman. Defendant 1, rom p. 34, and Abdur Raashin Karinda ??? 1923, p. 42, give evidence that the property was administered as wakf.

    14. On p. 38 D.W Bahr-ul-Uloom says he was a pupil for 14 or 15 years at a school “Nasir-ul-Alum” at Ghosi, and for four years has been a teacher and grants are ??? to the school from this wakf property. On p. 31 Malik Jalal-ud-din supports his and another teacher Ali Ahmad on ??? 40. Plaintiff and her mother alleged that possession was not taken on ??? by the mutwalli as mutwalli, and in the other hand by the defence it is ??? that the deeds were given effect to and the possession was held by the mutwallis as administering the wakf. We agree with the Court below that the evidence for he defendants is preferable to the evidence for the plaintiff. Learned counsel for appellant laid special stress on the evidence ??? Khan Bahadur Aminullah on page 26. ??? gentleman was a legal practitioner for ??? in Ghazipur and during the course of his practice he states that in 1916 Alauddin came to him and asked him to have sham document prepared and he refused ??? give him any advice. At line 21 he ???:

    The impression which I gathered from the cirumstances of the facts Alauddin spoke to me bout was that he wanted to execute a certain Petitions document… As I had relation with the arties and as I considered it professionally unfair, refused to give any advice in the matter.

    15. Now this witness is speaking in the year 934 after a lapse of 18 years. The reason that he gives as to why he refused to assist Alauddin was that he had relations with he parties and he considered the intention of Alauddin to be unfair. It is obvious that these reasons would apply just as much if Alauddin came to him and asked him to ??? a perfectly genuine deed of wakf in order that his wife might be deprived of her right to dower. The introduction of the idea of a sham or fictitious deed of wakf is not necessary for the circumstances mentioned by the witness. We think that in the course of time his memory may not be accurate and we see no reason to accept the statement which he now gives that he was told that the deed would be fictitious. If Alauddin desired to execute a fictitious deed there was no reason whatever why he should say so to a lawyer whom he desired to draft the deed. No distinction in form can be made we think between a deed of wakf which the executant does not intend should be brought into force and one which he intends to be genuine. We are satisfied that the conclusion of the Court below is correct and that these two documents are perfectly valid as deeds of wakf and have been acted upon. On this view of the matter the plaintiff has no ground for interference with that portion of the decree of the lower Court which dismissed her suit so far as the property in Schs. A, B and C is concerned. This is the only point which she raises in appeal and accordingly we dismiss this first appeal with costs.

    D.S/R.K

    16. Appeal dismissed.

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    Mt. Alimunnisa Bibi v. Mohammad Abdur Rahman
    (May 6, 1938)