Asian Journal of Muslim Philanthropy and Citizen Engagement

Women’s Religious Authority and the Governance of Muslim Philanthropy: The Càntakun Succession Conflict in Senegal

2026-06-17T08:24:58+07:00

Islamic Succession conflicts within Sufi brotherhoods in Senegal often expose tensions between competing forms of religious legitimacy, yet their implications for philanthropic governance and women’s participation remain underexplored. This study examines the Caliphate succession conflict within the Càntakun community following the death of Sheikh Béthio Thioune, focusing on how competing legitimacy claims reshape religious authority, philanthropic governance, and gender relations. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research draws on twenty semi-structured interviews, five focus group discussions, and eight participant observations conducted across nine localities in Senegal. The findings reveal that the succession dispute is not merely a theological contest but a struggle over control of philanthropic resources, including adiya, donations, land, and diaspora networks. Sokhna Aida Diallo’s claim to caliphal authority challenges patriarchal norms and expands women’s participation in Muslim philanthropy, while Saliou Thioune’s claim reinforces hereditary succession and institutional orthodoxy. The study argues that routinization of charismatic authority is a contested process shaped by gender dynamics, with significant implications for community participation and institutional continuity. These findings contribute to broader discussions on gender, religious authority, and philanthropic governance in Muslim societies.

Waqf Transformation in Morocco: From Traditional Charity to Modern Socio-Economic Instruments

2026-05-25T15:01:28+07:00

Islamic philanthropic instruments such as waqf face a profound paradox within the global capitalist system. While embodying ideals of substantive economic justice and community empowerment, in practice they often become subsumed by the dominant economic logic, limiting their transformative potential. This study aims to analyze the transformation of Islamic philanthropy models in Morocco, particularly the shift from traditional waqf to modern socio-economic instruments. Employing a qualitative library research approach with historical-institutionalist and case study perspectives, this research synthesizes academic literature, legal documents, and institutional reports to examine the characteristics of traditional waqf, the drivers of its transformation, and its implications for socio-economic development. The findings reveal that waqf transformation in Morocco is driven by the interplay of state intervention, economic modernization, and global philanthropic models, resulting in a transition toward productive and institutionalized waqf. However, this process is non-linear and marked by tensions between religious values, market logic, and governance structures. The study argues that waqf reform is not merely technical but constitutes a broader socio-institutional transformation requiring the integration of innovation with Sharia principles to ensure Islamic philanthropy remains both effective and ethically grounded in advancing sustainable socio-economic development in Morocco and comparable contexts

From Collective Use Value to Spatial Commodification: The Transformation of Waqf in Turkish Urban Development

2026-05-24T02:22:35+07:00

The tension between urban capitalism and Islamic philanthropy in Turkey has marginalized waqf as a historical urban development institution. This study aims to analyze waqf’s transformation and recontextualization within modern Turkish urban development, focusing on institutional dynamics, social distribution, and cultural-religious value shifts. Employing a qualitative thematic literature review of 46 peer-reviewed sources, this research integrates Lefebvre’s production of space theory, urban political economy, and institutional theory. The findings reveal four transformative patterns: institutional shift from decentralized community governance to state control; waqf’s dual role in reducing and potentially reinforcing inequality; value transformation from religious devotion toward strategic philanthropy; and spatial commodification prioritizing exchange over use value. Waqf has fundamentally shifted from collective utility toward commodification, with institutional, market, and state forces reducing its social function while inequality in asset distribution persists. This study argues that revitalizing waqf requires integrating religious values, institutional innovation, and inclusive urban policies. The research contributes theoretical synthesis linking waqf studies with critical urban theory and identifies pathways for legal and planning reforms.

Waqf Governance, Constitutional Secularism, and Minority Rights: Assessing India’s UMEED Act 2025 in Comparative Perspective

2026-06-17T08:31:05+07:00

The waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, renamed the Unified waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Act, represents a transformative moment in India’s governance of Islamic endowments, introducing sweeping institutional changes including the abolition of waqf by user, mandatory registration, restructuring of waqf boards, and expanded executive authority. This study examines the constitutional implications of these reforms through doctrinal legal analysis and comparative examination of waqf governance in Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The findings reveal that while the UMEED Act pursues administrative modernization through transparency, accountability, and digitization, it simultaneously reconfigures the balance of power between state authority and religious autonomy, raising fundamental questions about minority rights under Articles 25–30 of the Indian Constitution. The comparative analysis demonstrates that successful waqf governance requires a hybrid model that combines regulatory efficiency with constitutional safeguards for religious freedom, judicial oversight, and community participation. The study argues that the UMEED Act constitutes a defining constitutional test of India’s commitment to secularism and minority protection, with implications for Muslim philanthropy, institutional legitimacy, and democratic governance in pluralist societies. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for strengthening waqf governance while preserving religious autonomy and minority self-governance.

Rethinking Islamic Philanthropy in Pakistan: A Conceptual Exploration of Faith-Based Giving and Social Change

2026-05-24T02:15:21+07:00

This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for understanding Islamic philanthropy in Pakistan as a complex social system capable of driving structural change beyond the dominant charitable paradigm. Despite the significant growth of Islamic philanthropic instruments such as zakat, sadaqah, and waqf in Pakistan, existing practices remain predominantly oriented toward short-term relief rather than sustainable empowerment, while scholarly literature has largely treated theological, institutional, and managerial dimensions in isolation. Employing a traditional literature review method, this study examines a wide range of academic books, journal articles, and institutional reports to identify patterns and tensions within Pakistan's philanthropic landscape. The findings reveal that Islamic philanthropy operates as a dynamic field shaped by interactions among state actors, religious institutions, civil society, and market entities, where governance structures and social capital determine whether resources contribute to systemic transformation or merely reproduce existing inequalities. This study concludes that repositioning Islamic philanthropy as a transformative social system requires an integrated approach combining regulatory reform, institutional innovation, and cultural reorientation, with significant implications for policymakers and development practitioners seeking to align Islamic social finance with sustainable development goals in Pakistan.