Waqf Endowment - Past and Present

     In Islamic Law, a Waqf, as defined by the Encyclopedia Brittanica, is defined as "a charitable endowment held in trust". In essence, the owner of something that produces income - such as a business - gives up their ownership for the public good, surrendering their profits for a good cause. As Armstrong writes in One City, Three Faiths, "a waqf could be used to ransom prisoners of war, fund a soup kitchen, or build a madrasah (educational institution)" (Armstrong 300). 

    One of the earliest recorded examples of a Waqf in Jerusalem came during the Ayyubid period, in which a vizier of Ayyubid Egyptian rule, Al-Afdal Shahanshah "endowed the whole Maghribi Quarter" to provide "aid and services" to "North African pilgrims and the poor"; he also had a madrasah built to teach the "jurisprudence" (theory of law) taught by North African schools, provided with a permanent endowment (Armstrong 300). In Islamic law, such an endowment is seen as a virtuous act in the eyes of religion, but according to Armstrong, a Waqf had other advantages - such as providing for descendants by helping to establish systems that benefit them, and ensuring a stable system of social justice and emphasizing the importance of caring for the poor and needy (values that degraded during the Crusader periods) (Armstrong 301). 

    While this was one of the first recorded examples of a Waqf in Jerusalem, it was hardly one of the first recorded examples entirely. In fact, the importance placed upon Waqf dates back to the earliest days of Islam, where it is said the prophet Muhammad gave the following instructions to Umar ibn Al-Khattab: "Umar had sought such words in respect of land, which, according to the narration, was the most precious land that had ever passed into his hands. Umar was to retain the land, spend from its fruits on himself and his family as well in charity, benefitting the poor and needy. Yet, a share of the income was also to go to the managers of the land as well as in its maintenance, restoration and improvement" (iWaqf). As such, in following Muhammad's teachings, there is a Waqf in "every country in the Islamic world" and the Waqf is considered a "central feature in all aspects in Islamic life" (Ethis Updates). Nowadays, the definition of the Waqf has blurred, and a modern Waqf is often considered to be any "charitable corporation whose founder may be an organization" (Adıgüzel 1), but efforts to pursue the spirit of the act are still there, even if adapted for modern times, and even if it seems at this point that some are using the concept to serve their own interests.

Adiguzel, Fatih Serkant and Kuran, Timur, Keeping while Giving: The Perpetuation of Inequalities through the Islamic Waqf (January 18, 2024). Economic Research Initiatives at Duke (ERID) Working Paper No. 305, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3836060 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3836060

The development of Waqf throughout the history of Islam. Ethis Blog - Ethical Crowdfunding. Impact Investing. Effective Charity. (2022, October 25). https://ethis.co/blog/the-development-of-waqf-throughout-the-history-of-islam/

Story. iWaqf. (2023, October 18). https://www.iwaqf.net/story/

Zeidan, A. (2024, February 25). waqf. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/waqf