Feb 14, 2012

Ethics in Action: The Role of Waqf in Early Muslim Society



The Qur’anic ethics of care and generosity are woven deep into the fabric of Muslim civilisations. Embodied in the daily life of Prophet Muhammad, this ethical spirit emanated from the belief that Allah had entrusted responsibility and obligations to mankind as a whole and to the community of believers in particular.


"I will create a vicegerent (khalifa) on earth,” Allah says to the angels in the second chapter of the Holy Qur’an (2:29), declaring man to be God’s representative. Implicit within the grace of this trusteeship is a commitment to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Muslims are united in their belief of the inheritance of this covenant, and are ever committed to upholding those obligations of care and generosity. From the earliest period of Muslim history, many of the ethical values that emerged from the verses of the Holy Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings led to the development of institutions, funded by the faithful and dedicated to the betterment of life in society.


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http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113197

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