Lesson 3 - Waqf Studies

Module 3
Phases and Roles of Waqf
WAQF STUDIES INTRODUCTORY COURSE

Course Content
© – AWQAF SA WAQF STUDIES INTRODUCTORY COURSE Slide 2
•Waqf at the service of worship or Ibadah
•Mosques
•Other services for the benefit of
worship
•Scientific and educational Waqf
•Waqf at the service of social welfare
•Waqf against poverty
•Public facilities of society
•Waqf for the sick and the
disadvantaged

Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the ten deeds which will help a person after
death;
2. Understand the two different categories of Waqf;
3. Understand the contribution of Waqf towards the service
of worship or Ibadah;
4. Understand women’s contribution towards Waqf;
5. Understand the contribution of Waqf towards educational
sector;
6. Understand the contribution of Waqf towards social
welfare for the benefit of Public facilities of the society,
welfare of the sick / disadvantaged and social welfare
against poverty;
7. Understand the contribution towards married couples and
people seeking marriage.

The ten deeds which will help
a person after his/her death
Imam Sayouti compiled the following from various hadiths
regarding the ten deeds which will help a person after
his/her death:
1. Beneficial Knowledge he or she published/propagated;
2. A child praying for him/her;
3. A palm tree he or she planted;
4. A lasting charity (e.g. Waqf);
5. Leaving a holy book for inheritance;
6. Protecting an inlet;
7. Digging a well and making a river flow;
8. Leaving/building a house for the homeless in order to
provide shelter;
9. Building a masjid/mosque for worship;
10. Teaching the Qur’an.

Waqf Areas
The Holy Qur’an, encouraged sponsoring and giving both
classes in many verses: Allah (SWT) says: " Give the kinsman
his due, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and squander
not (thy wealth) in wantonness” (Qur’an 17:26); "And
serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him.
(Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred,
and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbour who
is of kin (unto you) and the neighbour who is not of kin,
and the fellow-traveller and the wayfarer and (the
slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loveth
not such as are proud and boastful,”. (Qur’an 4:36)

Waqf Areas
Following the above verse, the companions of the Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) devoted their Waqf in two different but
complementary areas:
The first area was providing the necessary needs for the poor
classes in society, such as feeding the poor, beggars, orphans,
the homeless and freeing slaves, etc. The second area
concerned the children and relatives of the donors.
As a consequence of this, two kinds of Waqf emerged:
•General Waqf: Also known as General Waqf is called "Charity
Waqf" or “Waqf Khairy”. This Waqf is for all in the public sphere
such as the ill and orphans;
•Private Waqf: Also known as "Family Waqf” or Waqf Ahli". This
Waqf concerns mainly relatives and offspring.

Progression of Waqf
•After the end of the Companions' era, the number of
Awqaf increased, developed and diversified, mainly due
to the expansion and diversification of the needs of the
Islamic societies of that time.
•Awqaf, then, became a primary source of funding for
social services such as building and maintaining
mosques, education, health care, food, water, freeing
slaves, bankrupts, wayfarers, etc. Awqaf began to fill in
many big gaps that are normally dealt with by
governments, such as military equipment, supporting
holy fighters and their families, paying for the liberation
of prisoners, and building fortresses.

Progression of Waqf
• In parallel with the growth of Waqf, there was a growth
in the (fiqhi) legislative regulations dealing with Waqf, its
contentions, management, protection, solutions, as well
as controlling and auditing its revenues and expenditure.
• These aspects showed a high level of civilization and
modernity in Islamic history. In addition to that, the
Waqf institution, with its religious, scientific, social and
political dimensions, was a crucial foundation and lasting
resource for Islamic civilization.

Progression of Waqf
The following slides cover merely an overview of the noble
roles of Waqf endowment in serving society, satisfying its
needs, developing it. These are glimpses and fragments of
some of what has been written about endowments records.
The focus here has been on a specific time and space of
the Islamic history and its geographic area.

Waqf at the service of worship
or Ibadah
•Ibadah in Islam is a school educating and teaching high
standard behaviour, individually and collectively. Ibadah is
in essence a fulfilment of the duties towards Allah (SWT),
the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of forms and colours,
the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, in acknowledgement of His
Godliness and Majesty. And it is a transcendence of the soul
and thought in His presence and before Him, praise be to
Him.
•For all these reasons, ibadah including prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, reciting the Qur’an, pilgrimage and invocation of
Allah (SWT), were made pillars and foundations in Islam.
Thus, it is not surprising that believers are engaged in
endowment by teaching, encouraging, managing, funding
and equipping for it.

Waqf at the service of worship
or Ibadah
•In fact, the Waqf properties devoted to ibadah in general,
and especially devoted to Salaat in particular, has been
among the most important means of preserving, supporting
and facilitating the continuity of such worship, by whose
preservation the religion itself is preserved in its essence.

Masjids / Mosques
•Building a mosque was the first thing the Apostle of
Allah (SWT) did when he arrived at Al Madinah Al
Munawwara. Following the foot-steps of Prophet
Muhammad (SAW), all the conquerors and advocates
of Islam built Masjids, whenever they brought their
religion to a region, city or village.
• A mosque is by definition Waqf property. This means
that all mosques are Waqf for the sake of Allah (SWT).
• Ruqaya Belmqeddem, a researcher, says: "Mosques
come in the first place of these institutions. Waqf has
been mutually connected with mosques. In fact,
mosques are considered the first kind of Waqf in
Islam”.

Masjids / Mosques
Waqf for mosques comprises the land lot,
construction and furniture. It comprises their
annexes such as Qur’anic schools, libraries,
ablution facilities, and sometimes housing for the
Imam. It also comprises of commercial Waqf
properties, whose income returns are devoted to
management and construction, including wages
for caretakers such as the muezzin and the Imam.
Today we have several examples of mosques that
are self sufficient and even contribute to other
social development projects and programmes.

Women’s contribution towards Waqf
• Historically, women have contributed tremendously towards Waqf.
For example, the great mosque/masjid, Al Karawiyin Mosque located
at Fez – Morrocco was founded by Fatima Bent Cheikh Faqih Abi
Abdellah Mohammed Bin Abdellah Al Fihri Al Kayrawani, alias Fatima
Oum Al banin with her inheritance. She chose the appropriate land lot
herself, and paid from her own money (sixty ounces of gold). She
also paid for the cost of building. The building of Al Qarawiyin Mosque
started during the blessed month of Ramadan, in 245 H. She pledged
to fast for the sake of Allah (SWT) during all the time of building the
mosque.
•The unique characteristics of the Al Qarawiyin Mosque is not only in
the fact hat a virtuous woman built if from hr own money but its
historical/cultural, political, scientific and religious roles.

The second example is Al Andalusiyin Mosque in Fez which
was built by Maryam Al Fihriya, the younger sibling of Fatima
Al Fihriya who is the founder of Al-Qarawiyin.. The mosques
are siblings in that they were built at the same time and in the
same city.
The third example is Bab Doukkala Mosque in Marrakesh which
was built in 995H by Masaouda Al Wazkitia, mother of the
Saadi Calif Ahmed Al Mansour Ad-Dhahbi. She also equipped
the masjid with a library and devoted bequest for scholarly
chairs.

The fourth example is from South Africa. The first masjid in
South Africa is known as Masjid al Awwal was bequeathed by a
woman in 1794. Her name was Sara van den Kaap and she
was a slave descendent. This masjid still stands today and
was the forerunner of Muslim schools in South Africa providing
learning and teaching to all people from all backgrounds
particularly the children of slaves. Islam was officially
unbanned in the Cape of Good Hope in 1804.

Other services for the benefit of
worship
There are many other Awqaf dedicated towards services for
the benefit of worship. One of these services is the Waqf or
bequest meant for the elderly who stay in mosques and
regularly participate in prayers. This bequest is meant to help
and honour them.
An example of such is at Al Qarawiyin Mosque in Fès where
some benefactors devoted Waqf for people who would remind
people before prayers by saying “Straighten your lines”, “May
Allah Bless you”. Other Waqfs were devoted to people
crossing some towns or villages on their way to pilgrimage.

Scientific and educational Waqf
•The scientific and educational Waqf activity began within
Waqf mosques and their facilities. Most of these facilities
contained Qur'anic schools for elementary education and
memorization of the Holy Qur'an. Then the idea of libraries
annexed to mosques emerged. After that came the idea of
bequeathing scholarly chairs in some great mosques, that
got its own bequest within the mosque institution.
•With growth, development and specialization, the scientific
movement started to get some independence from the
mosque and its main function. Hence the phenomenon of
schools began, some of which became higher scientific
institutions such as universities.

For example, Al Qarawiyin located in Morrocco is an educational
and scientific institution (University of Al Qarawiyin). This
institution is the oldest example and the greatest representation of
the scientific and educational role of Waqf in Morocco. In fact, it is
one of the oldest and greatest models in the whole Islamic world.
In spite of historical factors, the Qarawiyin Mosque grew and
developed at a very fast rate to become Al Qarawiyin University.
This was due to the bequest fortunes that were devoted to its
services. Thus, the bequest devoted to Al Qarawiyin from all parts
of Morocco helped increase its revenue, which resulted in an
increase in scholarly chairs and regular students who benefitted
from board and scholarships. Within and around Al Qarawiyin,
many schools were established and equipped by benefactors and
Waqf makers.

In spite of the fact that Al Qarawiyin was a diversified institution
with branches and trained a wide range of specialities such as
fuqaha, judges (qadhis), teachers, khateebs, civil servants,
doctors, and astronomers; it did not remain the only source of
knowledge. Bequest makers built schools in different Moroccan
cities and made bequests to cover teachers’ wages, students’ food
and board, libraries of precious books and any other activity that
helped these schools fulfil their goals and preserve their continuity.
The other kinds of bequest that served science, scientists and
scholars and are meant specifically for students and scholars.They
are forms of bequest especially made to encourage scientific
research, such as the Waqf made by Moulay Abdellah bnu
Mohammed, son of King Moulay Ismaïl (one of the kings of the
Alaouite dynasty in Morocco -12th C. H.).

This Waqf is made of a number of big rich orchards whose crop is
sold, and the money is divided among two hundred students, with
a proviso in the bequest document (waqfiyyah).
Among those who benefited from bequest wages is a class of people
who were mentioned in a bequest document by King Mohammed bnu
Abdellah: “the learned men who read the astrolabe and study
arithmetic can have their share from bequest…" Thus, we can see
what Moulay Mohammed bin Abdellah used to offer as rewards and
encouragement to scholars, either from his own money or from
bequest money, for them to do their job in the best way.

Waqf at the service of social welfare
- Waqf against poverty
Ahmed Baba Tenbekti As-Soudani, an outstanding scholars of
Mali said after visiting a number of Islamic countries - “the
Muslim countries he visited in the region of Sudan (today’s
West Africa) were characterized by the abundance of food; so
much so that you would not find hunger. People would leave
what is left of their food and put in on a clean rug near the
mosque. The hungry and needy would feed from it…”
This kind of charitable participation that was meant for the
poor and wayfarers became regular Waqf and institutions to
which the needy go to. Some of these institutions can be
devoted to housing and feeding wayfarers, while others are
devoted to the elderly.

A number of small mosques and hospices that used to deal
with worship, education and holy war used to feed and shelter
visitors and passersby. By way of example, “King Yacoub bnu
Abdul Lhaq (Merinide dynasty in Morocco) built small mosques
in the country side. He devised many Waqf endowments for
these mosques in order to feed wayfarers and the needy.”
Then An-Naciri, the author of “Al Istiqsa”, sadi: “After him, his
sons followed suit; they increased the number of scientific
schools, small mosques and hospices; and devoted Waqf
benefits for all that.” “Zaouia Moutawakkiliya” founded by Abu
Inan Al Marini in Fes, was one of these small mosques. It was
known as the "House of Guests" alluding to its charitable
function.

During the Merinide era, different and sometimes specialized
bequest institutions expanded in order to fulfill the needs of
different classes throughout Morocco. “And all these houses
are part of the Waqf invented by the Merinides and devised
for the poor and the needy. It was known as "Bequest of the
Poor". It is a Waqf with different facets. Rulers participated in
Waqf together with many charitable people…”

Public facilities of society
•Some of the important services that benefactors and
bequest makers cared for were: to provide water by digging
wells and sources and putting them under bequest, to build
water fountains for charity, to build water canals in order to
transport water from its source to the place of use.
•Historically, Awqaf took the responsibility to provide cities
with water, ablution places, public baths and other
necessities for dwellers.

Public facilities of society
• Sheikh Mohammed Mekki Naciri stated “that most of
Moroccan public baths in cities owe their presence to bequest.
The bequest makers of these baths believe that they are
centres for Islamic cleanliness. They were built in order for
Muslims to clean themselves and to allow men and women to
fulfil their religious duties. That is why their rent as well as
the price for washing was very low; for they are linked to
religion that requires all Muslims to wash.”
• Other public services that Waqf endowment financed were
building bridges, town walls (security), lightening of alleys, as
well as dedicating land lots to be used as graveyards.

Waqf for the sick and the
disadvantaged
•As it is the case in different charity situations, care for the
ill and the disadvantaged or the handicapped, moved from
being individual sporadic work to a phase of lasting and well
organized scientific institutions.
•Bequests was created to encompass buildings specially
devised for people who were ill and for the disadvantaged or
the handicapped. These buildings were equipped with the
necessary facilities from special endowments whose revenue
were spent regularly on providing these care.
•Professor Mohammed Bin Abdel Aziz bin Abdellah believes
that “the first ‘bimarestane” that was known in North Africa
was the one built by Al Mansour Al Mouwahhidi in Marrakech
about a century before the foundation of the city of Cairo.”

disadvantaged
• Hospitals expanded in the different big cities of Morocco,
such as Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Salé, Marrakech, Tangiers and
other cities. Special hospitals for the mentally ill also
emerged, among which is Sidi Frej Hospital in Fès, which
was founded in the seventh century of Hijra. It continued
operating until the middle of the twentieth century A.D.
Another example is M’hammed Al Ghazi Hospital in Rabat
where mentally ill people visited from all over Morocco
seeking cure and recovery. It used to have special Awqaf
specified for this purpose.”
•Caring for the ill, including medication and entertainment,
reached such an excellent level that “a salary was allocated
to the ill in order to satisfy their needs, and another for the
people who nursed them.”

disadvantaged
•Special Waqf dwellings were founded for some categories of
people with handicaps or with contagious illnesses that were
difficult to cure at the time. “Thus, we find in Fes a place
housing people who had leprosy. It had around two hundred
rooms. These people had their own Imam and their own
leader who collected for them revenues from rent that were
endowed for them and in worship for the sake of Allah.
These bequests were made by some notables and other
people. These ill people were provided with all necessities,
so that all their needs were satisfied.”

Waqf for marriage and needy
married couples
• In the city of Fes, furnished houses under Waqf would
enable poor people to organize their weddings and stay for a
few days. Some of these houses were Waqf endowments for
the blind to get married. In Marrakech, there was a house
devoted to women in conflict with their husbands. They
benefited from free room and board until they reconcile with
their husbands. There were many endowments to meet the
needs of the maintenance and to provide these kinds of
facilities.

End of Module 3
If you have
any questions
on this
module,
please contact
your lecturer.

Lesson 3 - Waqf Studies

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (8)

Similar to Lesson 3 - Waqf Studies

Similar to Lesson 3 - Waqf Studies (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Lesson 3 - Waqf Studies