Islamic Waqf and similar western charitable organizations towards a humanitarian civilizational partnership

Abstract EN

This study came to the conclusion that Trust in the western charitable organizations is in agreement with the Islamic Irsad in the waqf system because they both belong to one system, i.e., Birr and good doing.

This agreement, however, is not without some points of difference, for example we find that some forms of Trust include monopoly which appears clearly when a property is passed to a trustee who strives to evade the payment of taxes imposed on an estate in case it passes to the inheritors.

Furthermore, the study showed that both systems have their negative and positive aspects, though of a relative nature in both, which are characterized by liberality and flexibility.

Most of the jurisprudential issues were based on Ijtihad (discretionary science) in the light of the controversial resources, for example the 'interests'.

This fact leaves the door wide open for each system to benefit from the other according to relevant restrictions set by each party in this regard.

The waqf system may benefit from the advanced management being utilized in the western charitable systems in order to realize the intents of the waqifs (dedicators), augment the proceeds and solicit new awqaf.

Among the merits of such a management is creating an independent governmental authority to take charge of the awqaf and resort to strategic planning.

The western charitable systems, on the other hand, may benefit from the solutions put forward by the Islamic awqaf to handle the criticisms raised against them, for example observing the waqifs' intents, encouraging the religious factor in any initiative and seeing to it that the benefits of the waqf cadres should be fair and within the standard wages.