Dr Tarak Abdallah
Speaking at the Dubai International Conference for Awqaf, Dr Tarak Abdullah, an associate professor at Zayed University, said greater awareness of the tradition was needed.
“We need to educate out children from the early stages in school to understand the concepts and the perspectives of such institutions,” said Dr Abdullah. “We should build a culture that understands awqaf and its role in developing the communities and fulfilling the need of our societies.
“We should pay more attention to awqaf, we need it to be part of our courses in schools and universities.”
Traditionally the endowments have been used to build and maintain mosques, provide graveyards or dig wells, though there is a move towards helping the community in other ways. A private awqaf can be set up, typically to benefit a family.
“Islamic awqaf have always been a major component of Islamic societies wherever they are. It is a medium of alleviating pain and helping the needy in our society. This system has a long history that spans 1,400 years.
The two-day conference was attended by more than 1,000 regional and international endowment experts and visitors from more than 20 countries.
Awqaf SA fully supports the idea of teaching our young about waqf. Awqaf has introduced the online Waqf Academy and also intends to introduce basic modules for schools. Al Falaah College in Durban, South Africa is piloting waqf modules at their school.
