Shaping the Future of Waqf Studies in Indonesia

By: Fahmi M. Nasir and Hidayatul Ihsan*

The revitalization of waqf institution, in the last few years, has brought a positive impact towards the study on waqf. As far as the waqf revival is concerned, waqf studies have exponentially developed after the international seminar held in Jerusalem in June 1979. 

The seminar which brought together 27 scholars from various disciplines of knowledge constituted a very significant landmark for waqf studies. Indeed, it was the first seminar which devoted waqf entirely as a focus of the deliberations whereby each scholars addressing waqf in relations to their subject of expertise such as the impact of waqf in the field of the economy or waqf role in various public services or social system. In fact, this seminar was commended for introducing waqf as a new branch of study and for setting up the platform for future waqf studies.  

In the subsequent development, Hoexter (1998) has classified waqf studies into three stages. The first stage concentrated on the legal aspect of waqf. Some scholars discussed the idea of waqf law reform in this stage. 

In the second stage, the discussion has moved beyond the legal aspects as the broader implication of waqf was studied on a meaningful scale. This can be observed through many writings which discussed waqf on various aspects such as the economic implications of the waqf, the impact of waqf towards social system, the relation of the waqf and the state, implications of waqf in the field of social history, waqf and gender studies, waqf and urban studies, the role of waqf in public services like welfare, education, water system, hospitals etc.

Furthermore, in the third stage, waqf studies seek to incorporate the waqf in general ideological, sociological, and cultural conceptions. Hence, we can observe how waqf studies were connected with various themes such as waqf and charity, waqf and civil society, comparison of waqf and similar institution in different cultures.

Nada Moumtaz (2018) reaffirmed the above point of view by stating that at the moment we are in the third wave of waqf studies.  According to her, the third wave is characterized by the integration of the study of waqf into larger interdisciplinary debates. It implies that waqf will be looked as a total institution that having various aspects such as economic, social, political, religious, moral, diaspora, law and modern state, culture and many others. 

Interestingly, Nada Moumtaz also stated that Southeast Asia now is the new center for waqf studies. Amelia Fauzia et al. (2018) later on mentioned that not only Southeast Asia has become a new center for waqf studies; it also has become the locus of scholars conducting new research on waqf. 

This new development would obviously very interesting to observe in relations to the study of waqf in our country, Indonesia. Stages or waves of waqf studies mentioned-above, directly or indirectly, will very much influence the development of the study of waqf in Indonesia. Unfortunately, due to some reasons, the dynamics development of waqf studies in Indonesia was not known to foreign scholars.

It was very obvious that from early works on bibliography of waqf literature, there was no mention on works by Indonesian scholars as well as the discussion of waqf in Indonesia. This can be noted from study on waqf bibliography by Hoexter in 1998 or by Abdul Azim Islahi in 2003. It was only in 2009 that Syed Khalid Rashid of India included Indonesia as one of the five countries in which he compiled and reviewed waqf literature for a period of thirty years from 1997-2007. The other four countries are India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Pakistan. 

Syed Khalid Rashid, in fact, commented that the discussion of waqf in Indonesia is very forward looking. He pointed out that numerous literature in form of books, papers, seminar proceedings and reports have illustrated a very pragmatic discussion on the management and development issues of waqf, as well as the discussion of waqf in the overall context of Islamic philanthropy. Last year, Nada Moumtaz in her works entitle ‘Theme Issue: A Third Wave of Waqf Studies’ continued the trend of having positive remarks on waqf studies in Indonesia when she wrote that there are scholars from Indonesia who has started to conduct an in-depth study on waqf there.

The recognition giving by two scholars above should be taken as a challenge as well as a momentum for waqf scholars and practitioners alike in Indonesia to shape the future of waqf studies in our country by  introducing more important works on waqf studies in the country to scholars hailing from outside. Important works produced in Indonesia should be easily available to foreign scholars, for some reasons.

First, as a country in a region where waqf development has taking a center stage as well as become a new center for waqf studies, it is obvious that Indonesian scholars should play a central and leading role in whatever activities related to waqf research in Indonesia in particular and in Southeast Asia in general. Indonesian scholars should be able to produce an important works that will provide a comprehensive waqf literature on waqf studies in Southeast Asia. This comprehensive works would subsequently become an essential reference for waqf development and waqf studies for scholars within or without the region. 

Second, from the available literature of waqf in Indonesia, we can identify that there were many local wisdom in the waqf sector that should be introduced to the waqf fraternity all over the world. The time has come for Indonesian scholars to produce as many works as possible regarding stellar records of institutions similar to waqf like huma serang in Banten, tanah pareman in Lombok, pusako tinggi in Minangkabau and wakeueh in Aceh. 

Third, due to the fact that waqf law enables private sector to manage waqf, there should be many case studies from Indonesia. This is unique, as in Malaysia, only government bodies in the form of State Islamic Religious Councils (SRICs) in their respective states given the authority as a ‘sole trustee’ for all waqf properties under their jurisdiction. This, according to Sharifah Zubaidah et al. (2018) has created problems with regards to the scope of powers of the SRICs in exercising their powers as ‘sole trustee for waqf in Malaysia. The unique characteristic that accommodate in our waqf law, will therefore enrich the way of waqf assets being managed in Indonesia, with various innovations and creativities. Hence, those practices should be widely disseminated through waqf studies and publications. 

There are, of course, many more positive aspects of waqf sector in Indonesia that should be continuously explored especially the development of waqf during the last two decades. All of these research works will definitely fill in the so-called lacuna of waqf literature in Indonesia.

For such a huge country with tremendous waqf assets nationwide, a comprehensive work on waqf will be time consuming and very expensive. Hence collaboration between scholars, research centers and waqf stakeholders are needed. The result of this effort will surely enrich the literature on waqf, create tremendous public awareness which might attract wider interest and involvement from various sectors to develop and revive waqf in Indonesia. Furthermore, the strategic collaboration will be able to shape the future of waqf studies in Indonesia by having an outstanding works on waqf research which will confirm the status of Indonesia as a new center for waqf studies.*

*Fahmi M. Nasir is the founder of Centre for Study and Consultancy of Waqf, Jeumpa D’Meusara (JDM) and Ph. D Student in waqf law and governance at Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He can be reached at fahmi78@gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/fahmi.m.nasir. 

Dr. Hidayatul Ihsan is a lecturer at Accounting Department, Padang State Polytechnic, Padang, Indonesia and can be reached at ihsanm@gmail.com.