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Waqf in the Words and Works of Imam
Khomeini:
An
Analytical Survey of the Sahifeh-ye Imam
(Abstract)
By Mansoor Limba
Posted: December
30,
2005
A
cursory examination of the 22-volume Sahifeh-ye
Imam—the largest ever compiled anthology of
Imam Khomeini’s speeches, messages, interviews,
religious decrees, permissions, and
letters—reveals that pious endowments [awqaf]
undoubtedly occupy a distinct station in both
the words and works of Imam Khomeini, the Great
Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the
Idol-Breaker of the 20th Century.
In
particular, the following three salient features
are indicated in the encyclopedic authentic
reference source from its first volume up to the
21st volume (volume 22 being the
indexes of the whole voluminous treatise) with
respect to the Imam’s treatment of pious
endowments:
1. The
Imam left no stone unturned in campaigning
against any arbitrary use of “endowments” as
exemplified by his strong condemnation of the
Pahlavi regime’s attempt to utilize “Ministry of
Endowments” to control the ‘ulama’ and
religious affairs (vol. 1, pp. 390, 392; vol. 2,
pp. 483, 485-486, 488).
2. As
a grand religious authority [marja‘ at-taqlid],
the Imam paid special attention to the proper
utilization and spending of endowed properties
as well as gave full support to awqaf
institutions as demonstrated in his letters,
decrees [ahkam] and permissions [ijazat]
(vol. 2, p. 161; vol. 7, p. 14;
vol. 13, p. 219; vol.
17, p. 416; vol. 19, pp. 418-419;
vol. 20, pp. 60-61; vol. 21, pp. 270,
347-348, 382).
3. As
a philanthropic man, the Imam also manifested in
his humble ways the spirit of waqf. For
instance, pursuant to Article 142 of the
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran
which empowers the Supreme Court to probe the
assets of high ranking political authorities
before and after their respective incumbencies,
the concerned highest judicial body investigated
the meager assets of the Imam and the result
showed that not only that nothing had been added
to his assets during his tenure as the Supreme
Leader (vol. 13, pp. 523-524) but instead, a
plot of land in Khomein he inherited from his
father was given by him as an endowment [waqf]
to the indigent people of the locality (vol. 19,
p. 232)!
In sum, Imam Khomeini has clearly demonstrated
to us the lofty station of waqf both in
theory and practice.
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