Bengaluru, 29^th March 2022: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Karnataka Awqaf Cell has organised a two-day workshop on the Islamic endowment (waqf) here at Shanti Sadan.

In his keynote address, JIH Karnataka President, Dr Belgami Mohammed Saad has underlined the significance of waqf properties. He said, “the protection of waqf properties is the collective duty of the Muslim community. The Waqf is an important aspect of Islamic law and a beautiful chapter in Muslim Ummah’s history.”

While commenting on the legal status of waqf, JIH national Secretary Dr Muhammad Raziul-Islam Nadvi said, “almsgiving and charity are highly valued in Islam, as the Qur’an and Hadiths (Prophet’s sayings) highlight their importance on several places.  Waqf properties cannot be sold, financed or commodified in any way as Allah Almighty is the original owner of them”.

Giving evidences from, Prophet Mohammad time (PBUH), Dr. Raziul Islam said, “Muslims of all generations and regions have been donating a considerable portion of their properties and assets to waqf for building mosques, schools, guesthouses for travellers, hospitals, cemeteries, etc.  In India too, there are large number of endowment properties in every state. But it is a fact that many properties were lost or encroached and taken over by governments and the common people even misappropriated by many Muslims themselves. Now it is the duty of every Muslim to try to recover the occupied endowments and utilize them for the benefit of the public. Every state urgently requires some dedicated Muslims to help freeing the encroached endowments. There is also a need to generate income from these endowments.”

Speaking about the situation of waqf in the country, Mr Akram Al-Jabbar, retired Chief Commissioner of Pune, said “over 8,00,000 acres of land has been set aside across the country, most of which has been taken over by the government, political personalities, and even Muslims. It is a difficult task to free these properties from encroachments.”

JIH national Secretary, Mr Malik Motasim Khan presided over a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Issues and challenges in wakf protection and better utilisation. Mr. Saleem Mulla Poona, Mr. Akram Al-Jabbar Poona, Advocate Sarfaraz Mangalore and Mr. Naseer Ahmed MLC were the panelists while Advocate Muqtadir coordinated the discussion. They focused in the discussion on the survey of endowment properties, registration of endowment properties in revenue record, request to exempt GST on endowment properties and incomes, timely preparing the records, awareness regarding Endowment Act, establishment of a task force to safeguard the endowment properties and utilisation of waqf revenue in a proper way to generate income.

Former CEO of the Karnataka Board of Waqf Mr Mujeebullah Zafari outlined the actions taken by the Karnataka government and its initiatives. He informed, “About 5,675 cemeteries and 1,679 Eid Gah have been registered in Auqaf. One lakh seventeen thousand acres of lands have been declared as waqf properties which have been registered with the Karnataka Board of Auqaf.”

JIH Karnataka’s vice president, Mr Yousuf Kanni said, “it is necessary to end despair with the word endowment and build trust in each other. On that basis, great works can be done.”

The practical strategies to safeguard waqf properties from encroachments were discussed in the workshop. President of the Karnataka Endowment Cell Mr Rafiq Ahmed delivered the opening remarks. As many as 80 representatives from all districts of the state attended the workshop.

RTI activist Shafee Ahmed, Mr Hussain Hooda, Mr Ibrahim Mullah Gadag, and Dr Sameer Kalbergi also spoke on the occasion.