Islamic Waqf and Management of Cultural Heritage in Palestine

Abstract

This paper studies the salient features that characterise the Islamic waqf and the importance of its development through history as a system for management of cultural heritage in Palestine. In an attempt to understand the value of waqf and its developmental role, this paper discusses the significance of waqf development with regard to social and economic growth. The paper concludes that Islamic waqf in Palestine is certainly not an invitation to the authority of the government to dominate the area of benevolent (caring, generous) activities in society but quite the opposite; from its beginning, the establishment of waqf was a clear representation of creating a third sector related to philanthropy (charities) that is kept away from both the profit‐motivated behaviour of individuals and the authority‐dominated action of the government and could be developed and adopted today in our society as a sustainable approach to the management of cultural heritage.

Keywords:

• Management of Cultural Heritage
• Sustainability
• Islamic Heritage
• Waqf

Notes

[1] A madrasa is an educational building that is used to educate students in Islamic principles that in former times used to be attached to a mosque, but later became a separate building used for teaching other subjects beside religious ones.

[2] Alami, ‘The Waqf of the Traditional Families of Jerusalem during the Ottoman Period’.

[3] The singular noun is zawiya, which literally means a cornerstone, as it establishes the orientation of a building, and in this case society. It is a place of spiritual retreat and has become one of the architectural monuments of the Islamic world.

[4] The waqif is the person who carried out the waqf.

[5] A wqaf is the plural of waqf and, in this case, means all the wqaf documents.

[6] Feddan is a measuring unit for land which equals 0.95 acres.

[7] Crecelius, ‘The Organization of Waqf Documents in Cairo’.

[8] Amin and Abdel Hady, Mawsouat al Awqaf Mansha’et al Ma’aref.

[9] The data are mentioned in IRCICA, Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture. See Reiter, Islamic Endowments in Jerusalem under British Mandate.

[10] Al‐Bakhit, ‘Kashshaf Ihsa’i Zamani li‐Sijillat al‐Mahakim al‐Shar’iyya wa‐l‐Awqaf al‐Islamiyya fi Bilad al‐Sham’.

[11] Alami, ‘The Waqf of the Traditional Families of Jerusalem during the Ottoman Period’.

[12] Lecture by Mohammed Alami entitled ‘The Traditional Palestinian Families of Jerusalem during the Mamluk and Ottoman Periods’, Kenyon Institute, incorporating the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem, 2006.

[13] Reiter, Islamic Endowments in Jerusalem under British Mandate.

[14] An imam is a prayer leader and speaker at the Friday religious ceremony.

[15] Abdullah, A Comparative Guide on Laws Relating to Establishing an Arab Fund (Endowment or Cash Deposit).

[16] Desouky, Al Waqf wa Dawreh fy Tanmeyat Al Mojtama’ Al Islamy Al Majles Al A’la Lelsho’oun Al Islamiya.

[17] Fiqh refers to the science of Islamic law extracted from detailed Islamic sources.