A $200 Billion Saudi Waqf, a $50 Billion Harvard Fund—And India Wants to Dismantle Its Own with Waqf Act 2025
Ahmed Wali Faisal Rahmani, argues that the Waqf Act 2025 isn't just about taking land—it’s about ending a civilisational system of public good that served all, regardless of religion. The Ameer-e-Shariat says this law threatens to erase a system that supported people “from the cradle to the grave.” As global institutions like Harvard and Al-Azhar thrive on waqf-like endowments, India is reversing centuries of inclusive service that uplifted Dalits, educated the poor, and gave shelter to orphans. Rahmani warns that without Waqf, even graveyards may no longer be affordable to the community
Kolkata: The Waqf Act 2025 will not only result in a loss of land for Muslims but also disrupt services provided to non-Muslims, claimed Ahmed Wali Faisal Rahmani, Ameer-e-Shariat, Imarat Shariah.
Presenting a report titled The Implications and the Way Forward as the Waqf Act 2025 Gets Implemented, Rahmani said, “Not only will it take away lands donated by Muslims for the benefit of mankind, but it will also halt the services that non-Muslims have been availing.”
Waqf, a Muslim religious endowment, is considered an ibadat (act of worship) in Islam and was first regulated by law in India in 1864. Today, over nine lakh acres of land are registered under Waqf, although observers believe the actual extent is ten times higher.
In his 90-minute-long report, Rahmani highlighted the numerous benefits provided by Waqf. “There are science colleges, B.Ed colleges, medical colleges, hospitals, clinics, educational trusts, madrasas, and orphanages that run on Waqf land. Muslims make up only 15 percent of India’s population. In Bihar alone, there are medical and B.Ed colleges where 85 to 98 percent of students are non-Muslims,” he said.
He added that Muslims are also facing significant losses due to the disturbance, decontrol, and demolition of mosques, madrasas, and graveyards (kabristans).
Rahmani recalled a time when Waqf offered comprehensive support—from the cradle to the grave. “When a child was born in a Waqf hospital, and if the mother died, Waqf would pay the nanny who took care of the orphan. When the child was of school-going age, they would be admitted to madrasas run under Awqaf. Students also received stipends. If they fell ill, they were treated at Waqf-run clinics and hospitals. In many cases, Awqaf institutions even helped them find jobs. Finally, upon death, they were buried in Waqf land.”
Amid the ongoing hearings on the Waqf Act 2025 in Supreme Court and “threats” from BJP MPs, Rahmani, a former IT professional, argued that the Waqf Act 1995 was amended based on propaganda and fake narratives against Awqaf properties. He warned that the amendments would negatively affect the education of thousands of students from marginalised communities.
He sought to debunk three common pieces of misinformation against Waqf:
- “There is no Waqf system in Muslim countries”
Rahmani said, “There may not be Waqf Boards, but there are ministries—known as the Ministries of Awqaf—in countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and even Palestine. These ministries handle education, book printing, and mosque administration. You’ll be surprised to know that in Turkey, more than two-thirds of the land is still under Waqf. The largest endowment fund in the world today is in Saudi Arabia—the Al Haramain Waqf—valued at over $200 billion.” - “Wherever the Waqf Board points its finger, land comes under its control”
“This is false,” he said. “To Waqf a property, 14 documents must be submitted. Government officials then verify the details with relevant departments. If no objections are raised within one year, it comes under Waqf. Even after that, a person can challenge it in the tribunal, and further appeal to the High Court and Supreme Court if necessary.” - “Women have no role or benefit in the Waqf system”
Rahmani said, “Historically, women have been among the biggest Waqf donors. In Gaya district, several hundred acres were donated by a woman. Another woman donated 250 bighas of land. Women have always been both donors and beneficiaries of Waqf.”
He also rejected the claim that Waqf is the third-largest landholder in India after the Railways and the Army. “Even three Hindu temples in Odisha own more land than Waqf properties,” he noted.
On the allegation that Waqf properties lack documentation, he clarified, “There is documentation—it is called Waqfiah. It contains details about the donor’s intentions, the appointed mutawalli (caretaker), and other specifics. The deterioration in documentation has only happened in the last 150 years.”
Rahmani warned that one of the most profound impacts of the Waqf Act 2025 would be that people would now have to buy land for burial grounds.
“By destroying the Waqf system, it’s not just about taking away land from Muslims—this is an erasure of the history of Muslim religious endowments and a blow to shared civilisational values. There was a time when Dalits, denied access to water elsewhere, drank from Waqf wells,” he concluded.
The programme, “Waqf Act 2025: A Direct Threat to Indian Muslims,” was organized by young educator and Umeed Global School founder Wali Rahmani, along with Rafay Siddiqui and Mohammad Nooruddin of the Good Human Foundation. Several speakers participated, including Maulana Shafique Qasmi, Maulana Shabbir Alam, Dr Neelam Ghazala, and Uzma Alam.
