How Waqf Endowments Built The Foundation of Muslim Society with Maulana Tahir Talati

The Waqf, or endowments, is an age-old Islamic method of supplying public services. Throughout Islamic history, this third space enabled entrepreneurs and the monied to donate to causes that would multiply their reward. Many of the key services from health to education in history were funded by this method and it became a model of giving, emulated by many Westerners. Oxford University, it is said, built its endowment structure on the Waqf model. But what is a Waqf, and why do many call for its reintroduction today? My guest believes in this forgotten sunnah, and has set up an organisation the National Waqf. Maulana Tahir Talati heads the National Waqf, an organisation looking to revive the practice of Awqaf. Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a member:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/Donate Listen to the audio version of the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636a Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762 Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merch Find us on: Squarespace: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslim Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/ Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.social Host: https://twitter.com/jalalayn Website Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction 2:08 – What is Waqf? 3:41 – Purpose of Waqf 5:04 – Waqf vs Zakat 7:19 - Different Waqfs 20:19 – Role of state 28:01– Reliance on Waqf 29:47 – Islamic economists and Waqf 31:10 – Generating funds 37:10 – Waqf Political fund 47:08 - National Waqf org 51:43 – National Waqf structure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.