Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Waqf Khidma lil-Quran al-Karim

Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Waqf Khidma lil-Quran al-Karim (Muslims' Care for Endowments in Service of the Noble Quran) is a scholarly treatise by the Saudi jurist and scholar Abd al-Wahhab Abu Sulayman (d. 1444 AH / 2023 CE), examining the historical role and legal framework of charitable endowments (waqf) dedicated to preserving and teaching the Quran al-Mujam al-Jami fi Taraj…+1.

Background and Purpose

The work was originally prepared as a research paper submitted to the Symposium on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Care for the Holy Quran and Its Sciences, held in Medina in Rajab 1421 AH (September–October 2000 CE) al-Mujam al-Jami fi Taraj…. Abu Sulayman composed the study to highlight how the institution of waqf served as a primary financial mechanism ensuring the continuity of Quranic education, the upkeep of instructional facilities, and the support of reciters and teachers across Islamic history Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1. Because comprehensive documentation across all Muslim regions and centuries was impractical, the author selected representative historical and contemporary models Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….

Structure and Contents

Following an introduction on the role of endowments in sustaining Islamic education, the treatise is structured into two main chapters, concluding remarks, and an appendix Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…:

• Chapter One: The Evolution of Care for the Quran and Its Institutions (Tatawwur al-Inayah bil-Quran al-Karim wa Mu'assasatih): This chapter traces the development of institutional care for the Quran, beginning with its textual compilation under the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the memorization of the text, and the derivation of Quranic sciences Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1. It explores the educational functions of mosques—highlighting the Quranic study circle of Abdullah ibn Abbas in al-Masjid al-Haram—as well as sufi lodges (zawayas), traditional elementary schools (kuttabs), and dedicated Quranic colleges (dur al-Quran) Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+3. It concludes with the modern development of organized Quran memorization societies, documenting the establishment of the Charitable Society for Holy Quran Memorization in Mecca in 1382 AH Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….

• Chapter Two: Legality and Objectives of Endowments for the Quran (Mashru'iyyat al-Waqf Khidma lil-Quran al-Karim wa Maqasid al-Waqifin): The author establishes the legal basis of ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah) for Quranic instruction and analyzes the specific intents (maqasid) behind historical endowments Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1. These categories include:

  1. Endowments established for specialized Quranic schools Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….
  2. Endowments allocated to reciters and copyists, including royal Ottoman endowments in Mecca and Medina Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1.
  3. Endowments supporting integrated institutions teaching the Quran alongside Hadith or Islamic jurisprudence Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….
  4. Endowments dedicated to Quran recitation that led to the founding of broader cultural institutions, such as the historic library endowed by Shaykh al-Islam Arif Hikmat in Medina in 1270 AH (1853 CE) Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1.
  5. Endowments established for reciting the Quran with the intention of gifting its spiritual reward to others, including communal recitation (rub'at) in al-Masjid al-Haram under the khasfah system and recitation at burial sites Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….
  6. Contemporary institutional endowments supporting modern charitable Quran memorization societies Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa….

Appendix and Documentation

The book concludes with a set of recommendations and an appendix documenting historical specialized Quranic houses (dur al-Quran) in Damascus and Cairo Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…. For the Syrian institutions, the author draws upon the classical survey of historical endowments recorded by Abd al-Qadir al-Nu'aymi in al-Daris fi Tarikh al-Madaris, detailing houses such as Dar al-Quran al-Rasha'iyyah, al-Wajihiyyah, al-Sinjariyyah, and al-Sabuniyyah, alongside their founders, terms, and designated stipends Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Wa…+1.