Islam and Social Policy

Introduction

1 Introduction Stephen P. Heyneman These essays constitute a conscious effort to explain how Islam sees itself in terms of social policy. By social policy, we mean how Islam treats women, how it encourages charity, education, and general social welfare. By“Islam,” in this context, we mean many things.We mean the historical precedents of Islamic religious law and how it is organized currently. We include the many regional cultures in which Islam is situated and which influence its social policy. And we include too, examples of state policies, past and present,that help determine how Islamic law is treated.We mean all these things. Thepointof thisvolumeistogivethereader un tour d’horizon, an overview of some of the most delicate issues that societies need to face: how to treat the poor, promote charity, and establish fair relations among communities and within families.The essays attempt to provide an explanation for some of the more poignant sources of misunderstanding between Islamic and Western cultures: Is it true that females bear the brunt of discrimination? Why are there so many different charitable and educational foundations ,and why do some become legally controversial,bypassing their stated charitable objectives? The volume points out both the similarities between Islamic and Western cultures in terms of social aspirations and basic religious principles and the significant differences in their cultural assumptions. IslamFinalPages.indd 1 5/26/04 4:18:49 PM 2 Islam and Social Policy We commissioned these essays originally for use by staff of development assistance agencies with responsibilities in Muslim countries,including theWorld Bank,the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other organizations under the auspices of the United Nations—UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, ILO, and so forth.We hope that they will benefit staff of bilateral (country-to-country) organizations and international nongovernmental organizations that seek to offer assistance in terms of social welfare, human rights, education, and gender equality. Eachauthorutilizesawiderangeof skillsandscholarlyexperience .Donna Lee Bowen employs her deep understanding of Morocco and her training in both political science and anthropology, AhmadDallalhisknowledgeof Islamichistory,CarolUnderwood her understanding of public health and her long field experience in Iran, and Gail Richardson her skills at exploring the complex operational mechanisms of public social welfare bureaucracies. Synopsis From the essay,“Waqf:An Historical Overview,”one might derive several lessons. In that all social classes, races, and ethnic groups are treated equally, Islam is a religion of absolute equality. But, as importantly,because inheritance from one generation to the next is carefully prescribed, one can say that Islam also represents a system of wealth redistribution. Essential to all religions, charity is also a central organizing principle in Islam.What Ahmad Dallal teaches us is how charity is organized. The closest analogy to the system of Islamic awqaf (plural of waqf) might be theWestern concept of a foundation,in whichanendowmentissetasideinperpetuityforcertainspecified purposes. The concept of awqaf was created by Abraham in 1860 B.C.E. andwascommonwellbeforeIslamwasfounded.Whatmakesthe system of awqaf so interesting is that it was often utilized to cirIslamFinalPages .indd 2 5/26/04 4:18:49 PM Introduction 3 cumventtherestrictionsonintergenerationalinheritance.Ahmad Dallaldescribesthisnefarious(butunderstandable)traditionand uses this part of the story to introduce the reader to the system of Islamic courts in which such problems were adjudicated. His essay includes references to court findings concerning the conditions for becoming a legitimate founder of a waqf, the role of an administrator, and the legitimate uses for waqf revenue—municipal public works, religious education, food for the poor, and assistance to the infirm,the aged,and the mentally handicapped. He traces the legal history over a thousand years and points out how important awqaf traditions have been for women to pass on their wealth to charitable causes, how important the system has been simply in terms of size. In the eighteenth century, over half the population of several Ottoman cities were fed by awqaf revenues, over 20 percent of Egypt’s arable land was set aside for awqaf endowments and significant projects in support of cathedral mosques, markets, and other forms of urban revitalization. The essay also traces how the tradition of awqaf was treated first by European colonial authorities, then by Islamic colonial authorities (such as the Ottomans),and,lastly,by the post-WWII nation-states. In each instance, having a considerable level of resources independently allocated became a source of tension and conflict,and in each instance,there were attempts...