Islamic Institutions and Property Rights: The Case of the 'Public Good' Waqf

Abstract

The paper examines the institutional economic performance of the public good waqf with the intent of demonstrating the relevance of institutions to the momentous debate over Islamic backwardness and European progress and the waqf's role as supporter of learning institutions and promoter of social integration. Through the application of two sets of theoretical paradigms designed for measuring institutional behaviour, property rights and institutional arrangements, to legal cases supplied by fatwās from North Africa and Muslim Spain it will be possible to analyze and evaluate the impact of one of the major institutions of the premodern Islamic world on economic progress. L'article étudie la performance économique du waqf fiduciaire public, (waqf khairī), en tant qu'institution économique. Le but est de démontrer la pertinence de cette performance quant au débat sur la décadence économique des sociétés musulmanes par rapport au progrès que connut l'Europe. Sera étudié le rôle de l'activité économique institutionelle du waqf en général, et particulièrement dans les fonctions qui lui étaient attribuées, comme le soutien des institutions scolaires ainsi que la promotion de l'integrité sociale. Par l'application de deux paradigmes théoriques conçues pour mesurer le comportement institutionel, les droits de propriété et l'adaptation aux changements dans les conditions économiques rapportés par les documents juridiques tels les fatwās de l'Afrique du Nord et de l'Espagne musulmane, il sera possible d'analyser et d'évaluer l'impact de l'une des plus importantes institutions du monde islamique pré-moderne sur le progrès économique.

Islam, inequality and pre-industrial comparative development

“…For example, Shatzmiller (2001) stresses that "what conferred a unique historical signi…cance on the public waqf, was the fact that for hundreds of years it provided the only regular …nancial support for the medresa, a provider of higher education".…”

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Philanthropy

“…Prior to the 20th century, the majority of welfare and social services provided throughout the Ottoman Empire were funded through charitable endowments called awqaf (waqf, singular), or Islamic trusts (Peri, 1992;Cizakca, 1998;Hoexter, 1998;Kuran, 2001;Shatzmiller, 2001;Pioppi, 2007). Economic and political elites established public awqaf as pious acts, earmarking a part of their property for the waqf and designating the endowment's proceeds for a specific and inalienable public purpose (Pioppi, 2007).…”

Trade and Geography in the Economic Origins of Islam: Theory and Evidence

“…18 Shatzmiller (2001) stresses that "What conferred a unique historical significance on the public waqf, was the fact that for hundreds of years it provided the only regular financial support for the medresa, a provider of higher education. "…”