AWQAF SA CEO, Zeinoul Abideen Cajee, and Awqaf ambassador, Sedick Isaacs, recently attended the Seventh Annual Global Waqf Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nearly 500 delegates from around the globe attended the annual event, which is hosted in a different country each year and focuses on issues surrounding waqf. According to Cajee, this year’s conference entitled “Taking Waqf into the Future” looked at the role of technology and the function of digitalisation with regards to waqf in a changing world. This was a potential game-changer as more and more people in the post-colonial world became aware of the instrument of waqf, something that was systematically destroyed by colonialism. Awqaf ambassador, Sedick Isaacs, said the conference had proved to be interesting, with lots of hard work ahead in South Africa. Cajee said an interesting point had been raised that western universities, such as Oxford and Harvard, had been using endowments, based on the waqf model, for a long time. Oxford, he said, had learned from the Crusaders when they came back from the Muslim world in the 12th century. The irony, he said, was that many Islamic countries and communities were not using the very same endowment waqf systems that the west had introduced from the east in the key area of education. Cajee delivered an address at the conference. He focused on efficiency and governance within ISF operators and supervisors, and on organisational challenges in the developmental context. Several countries, he said, had shown an interest in the South ...

The parties were represented by Awqaf SA CEO, Br Zeinoul Abedien Cajee and AWQAFON Chairman, Dr Miswari Bello. Both parties committed to collaboration and cooperation in various fields of developing the waqf sector, particularly in Nigeria. Zeinoul remarked that Nigeria has produced many academic papers on waqf and has a rich resource of competent people. AWQAFON has a great committed and passionate team and augurs well for the future of the Prophetic institution of Waqf not only in Nigeria but throughout West Africa. Inshallah. Much support will be needed and AWQAF SA is ready to provide it’s experience to the Ummah in other parts of the world. The MOU was signed in the presence of various mutawallees and stakeholders and was witnessed by a leading traditional ruler, HRH Dr Eze A   bdul Fatah Chimaize, who is also a member of the forum of Kings of Africa. The MOU was signed on the sidelines of the 2nd International Waqf Conference, held in the ancient Islamic city of Kano. Several key note addresses were delivered by heads of departments and the vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK) as well as the Director of the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (BUK).   Keynote speeches were also presented by HRH Dr Eze Abdul Fatah and Br Zeinoul Abedien Cajee. The conference was co-sponsored by the Bayero University Kano and was co hosted by the Sa’adatu Rima College of Education. “Your presence with us was a great moral buster, it has ...

Fatima al-Fihri, who was born in Tunisia, she came from a well-educated family. In the early 9th century, Fatima migrated with her father and sister from Qayrawan in Tunisia to Fez in Morocco. Upon the death of her father, Fatima inherited a large fortune. Fatima al-Fihri used this wealth to establish the first university in 859 in the 9th century. Ibn Khaldun the famous historian was an alumni at this university. The university still exists today, offering Islamic Studies, Legal Sciences and Comparative Jurisprudence, which subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world. It is the oldest continually operating educational institution in the world and is sometimes referred to as the world’s oldest university, by being the first institution to award degrees indicative of different levels of study. The mosque is also still in operation, and is one of the largest in North Africa. Ustadha Zaynab Ansari in the Muslimah Media series talks about Fatima al-Fihri who established the first University of Al Quaraouiyine in Fez, Morocco In this video: Great Muslim Women: Fatima al-Fihriyya Founder of the First University in the World (Qarawiyyin) Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera speaks in details about the contribution made by Fatima al-Fihri to Islamic Education.

By Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi It was my first visit to the Qassim region. The media tour was organized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. One of my favorite program highlights was the visit to two of the biggest palm tree farms in the world. One belongs to the family of the late Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, and the other to the Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Endowment. Both give all their products free to charity. Sheikh Sulaiman’s son, Dr. Mohammed, joined us, as we toured their Al-Watania Poultry farm and factory, and met with a staff of highly-trained Saudi men and women. During a visit to a family exhibition, the Sheikh showed us how his labs developed ways to eliminate the bad smell that comes from poultry farms, and to get rid of harmful insects that infect plants, by raising and spreading useful insects. He also exhibited with pride his personal possessions from the humble beginnings of a long and successful career. It may be that he wanted to offer a lesson to his visitors, children and grandchildren, that the road to success is not covered with roses. Perhaps he was reminding himself to return some of Allah’s gifts to His underprivileged children. During lunch, Alrajhi relayed his life story. He left elementary school after the second year, and worked as a porter who received half a halala a day, that was when the riyal was equivalent to 22 halalas. Then he worked as a cook ...

By Mohammed Issa Dar es Salaam, Tanzania The Centre for Islamic Finance, Compliance and Advice (CIFCA), an Islamic Finance watchdog in Tanzania, recently conducted a one day seminar under a theme “Waqf Management, Its prospects and challenges in Tanzania”. The seminar which attracted a number of Muslim organizations that own and manage Awqaaf properties ranging from Mosques, Schools, tracts of land and other movable and immovable properties, was the first of its kind in Tanzania. It was blessed with attendance, among other participants, of high ranking Muslim leaders including but not limited to Sheikh Zubeir Noor who is the Chairman of Waqf Commission from Kenya, Muslim Ulamaa, Directors of local banks offering Islamic banking, lawyers and other dignitaries. Others in attendance included Accountants, financial and investment advisors, Businessmen/women, Waqf Owners, Islamic Schools Owners and potential Waqf owners. The seminar which took place Saturday 4th August 2018, covered the following presentations with presenters in brackets; – Crowd funding Platforms for Awqaf Development: Towards Ummah empowerment.  (Yassir Salim -Secretary General, CIFCA). Awqaf Management: Its Prospects and Challenges in Tanzania. (Sheikh Shams Elmi – Secretary General, Dhy Nurein Foundation. Cash Waqf and It’s significance in building the Ummah towards prosperity (Sheikh Mohamed Issa – Deputy Secretary General BASUTA). Others included Cash Waqf Deposit: an Innovative Product for Islamic Banks. (Khalfan Abdallah, Head Shariah Dept. Gulf African Bank). The last presentation in the seminar was The role of Islamic philanthropy and portrait of Waqf in Tanzania (Suleiman Lenga, Founder Trustee, Mtwara Islamic Dev. Center). Experience from ...