Moving forward: Waqf/Awqaf in Brunei

Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you),


"Slippers!?"

It is an odd way to start this post, I admit. But it always comes up when I think of wakaf/waqf/awqaf (Note: awqaf is the plural of waqf). 

Once upon a time, as a young boy gearing up for ablution or going to the toilet in a mosque in Brunei, I would not fail to see the word 'wakaf' scribed on slippers donated to the mosque. That's my first encounter with this term 'wakaf'. 

Even decades later, when I initiated a conversation on awqaf with my research assistants, for my fieldwork, that word came up again. Why do some of us associate awqaf with slippers? 

It's sad, not because of the item, the slipper itself, but because the beauty of awqaf is not currently being fully realized, and not just in Brunei. Of course, as I grew older, I notice some religious books such as Yassin, and mosques are also linked with awqaf, but for me, it ends there. Only when I undertook this research, I found the endless items that was linked with awqaf in Islamic states of the past, dating back to the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and if I'm not mistaken, before that too. From funding research on mathematics to paying for wedding ceremonies, part of the beauty of awqaf is that it's so flexible, that much depends on the stipulations of the donor, and as long as it does not go against Shari'ah.

For a quick read on what I'm babbling about, click here. For a longer read on awqaf, (if you have access to Oxford Islamic Studies), logon & read their write-up on awqaf. There's also Habib Ahmed's book, 'Role of Zakat and Awqaf in Poverty Alleviation'.

Donations in the form of sadaqah is fine, but to truly make our deeds last beyond our lifetime, would be the other beauty of awqaf. A Hadith or saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as reported by Muslim, states:

The Messenger of God (pbuh) said: Whence a child of Adam dies, his/her deed comes to an end except for three things: an ongoing sadaqah, knowledge that benefits (others), and a righteous child who prays for him/her.

My opinion is that in Brunei, we need to move forward with the notion of awqaf to philantropic and socio-economic forms of awqaf. I'm not against religious awqaf but a balance of some sorts, in view of the needs of society, is better. For instance, creating awqaf properties/assets (e.g. shopping malls, shop houses etc.) with the intention of having the benefits (i.e. rentals) channeled to those in poverty and low-income would be one such step; it would also reduce the burden of the government.

Having said the direction that awqaf may need to take, it would still not be enough. History* has taught us that awqaf had once prospered in certain places, to the extent that roads, sewage systems, libraries and many others were paid using awqaf funds but over time, for one reason or another, the institution of awqaf has sadly diminished to what it is today.

One reason, as cited in the above-mentioned book, is corruption by those entrusted with awqaf. Therefore, governance structures must be in place within contemporary awqaf institutions to avoid a repeat of history.

Anyhoo, that's my two (or is it five) cents on awqaf. Have a good week ahead, all & Happy National Day this weekend, Brunei.

Missing home (food & family mostly :).

Peace,

Umar

*For more on awqaf, seek:

1. Cizakca, Murat (1998). "Awqaf in History and its Implications for Modern Islamic Economies". Islamic Economic Studies, 6(1), 43-70

2. Boudjellal, Mohammed (2008). "The Need for a New Approach to the Role in Socioeconomic Development of Waqf in the 21st Century". Review of Islamic Economics, 12(2), 125-136