The Heading of conference

Headings of the International Conference on Waqf and Islamic Civilization

1. The significance of waqf and its legal aspects

• The notion of waqf in Islam and in the other Abrahamic religions
• The theoretical scope of waqf: atiyyah (donation), sadaqah (charity), hibah (gift), haqq al-intien' (right of exploitation), nadhr (vow), wasiyyah (last testament)
• Change in the Islamic legal regulations on waqf
• Change in the notion of waqf and its view in the future
• Comparative study of the regulations on waqf in Islamic Schools of Law
• Waqf in Non-theistic religions

2. Cultural dimensions of waqf

• Religious and moral consequences of the waqf for waqif (the founder of waqf) and mawqufun alaihim (those for whom the waqf is founded)
• The role of waqf in enhancing the public consciousness of Muslim societies
• The role of waqf in the thriving of cultural and educational institutions in Muslim societies
• Waqf and the development of the Software Movement
• The effect of waqf on the spatial characteristics of Muslim cities
• The geographical position and effects of waqf in the cultural sphere of Islam
• The reasons for the decline in the culture of waqf in Muslim societies
• The ways of refreshing and reviving the culture of waqf in Muslim societies
• Endowments founded by the Iranians in other countries: a mapping attempt of the endowments; the objective and effects of these endowments.
• Endowments founded by the other nations and the non-Shiite Muslims within the territorial and cultural borders of Iran : a mapping attempt of the endowments; the objective and effects of these endowments.
• An intercultural and interenith look at endowments
• Changes that took place in the notion of waqf in the last century, and the public perception of waqf
• The contributions of the waqf to the advancement of science, technology and art
• The reasons for the decline of endowments in the field of science and art
• The nongovernmental organizations for the supervising of endowments
• Legal information and instruction on how to found an endowment at the present time
• The function of waqf in reinforcing the national and religious unity of Muslim peoples

3. Economic and Financial Dimensions of the Waqf

·         Role of the waqf in economic development

·         Waqf and human resources

·         Waqf and job opportunities

·         Waqf and economic balance

·         The function of the waqf in the investment growth

·         Reflections on the practical patterns of waqf in the capital market

·         The feasibility of the idea of waqf banking (the functions, opportunities and challenges)

·         Reflections on turning the endowments to the profitable institutions

·         The productivity of the endowments

·         Reflections on the ways of increasing the productivity of the endowments

·         The portion of the charitable organizations in the capital market

·         The relationships of endowments with the market and political power

·         Reflections on the role of the endowments in stable development

·         The role of the endowments in realizing economic justice and in increasing social prosperity

·         Techniques of permutation (ibdal) and replacement (istibdal) according to new financial models

4. Administrational dimensions of waqf

·         The effects of physical environment on the culture of waqf

·         Centralization and decentralization in the management of endowments

·         Re-structuring the organization of the endowments

·         Organizations similar to the endowments

·         The civil role in the endowments

·         Management of endowments as small organizations

·         Management of the human resources in the endowments

·         Recognition and documentation of the achievements in the management of endowments

·         Designing a comprehensive system for evaluating the function of endowment management

·          A structure for classifying the endowments

·         Endowments and entrepreneurship

5. Political and Social Dimensions of the Waqf

• The role of endowments in continuing social peace
• The role of endowments in securing and developing social justice

·         The contribution of endowments to the formation of urban atmosphere

• The role of endowments in the development of political independence
• Historical and social roots of the notion of waqf

6. Legal Dimensions of the Waqf

·         The endowing of judicial rights

• The ways of preventing the abuse of endowments
• Criminological analysis of the crimes committed against the endowments
• Exchanging the properties of the endowments
• Comparison of waqf and the charitable funds
• Comparison of waqf in Islamic and positive law
• Comparison of waqf and the notion of trust and endowment in the West

7.  Historical Dimensions of the Waqf

• Different cultural and religious functions of the endowments in the history of Islam
• Historical information in the endowment records
• Re-examination of the important endowment records (like Waqf-i Rashidi)
• Introducing important endowments in Muslim countries

8. The Present situation of the endowments in Muslim countries

• The present setbacks and threats encing the tradition of waqf
• The present opportunities for the revival of waqf

9. Revival of the Waqf (all the following topics should be related to Muslim countries. In addition, the articles of this heading should address these topics or suggest a certain solution to the problem).

• The Management of Information

1.      Databank for the endowment records

2.      A Comprehensive bibliography on the waqf

• Maintaining the culture of waqf

     1. Appointing one day as the Day of Waqf in the whole Muslim countries

     2.  Publishing a journal on the issue of waqf

• In the field of scholarship

1.      Exploring new realms for the waqf

2.      Studying new issues on the waqf

3.      Encouraging comparative studies on the waqf

• In the field of management

1.      Forming a higher council of waqf from all the related organizations

2.      Securing cooperation between the charitable foundations in the whole Muslim world

3.      Setting down an update charter for the execution of the charitable foundations

4.      Recognizing the capacities of the organizations that can play a role.