27/05/2025
Waqf or Wither: The Unused Key to the Revival of Islamic Organizations”
— A Call to Vision, Strategy, and Sustainable Growth
By Abdullahi Abubakar Lamido
I have, Alhamdulillah, walked the path of Islamic organizational life not as a distant observer, but as an active traveler. For decades, I have participated—sometimes as a humble team player, and at other times as a top-tier leader, strategist, and advisor. From the vibrant energy of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) to the dedicated ranks of the Muslim Corpers’ Association of Nigeria (MCAN), National Council of Muslim Youth Organizations (NACOMYO), Dawah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN), and even the apex bodies like the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), my hands and heart have remained deeply embedded in this work. I have related also closely, as a resource person and advisor to Muslim women groups like Federation of Muslim Women Organizations (FOMWAN), Women in Da'wah, and the Muslim Sisters Organization (MSO), at both national and states levels.
And in truth, I am proud. Proud of the energy, the passion, the commitment to dawah, education, community development, and welfare that these Islamic Organizations (IOs) have exhibited. They have touched lives, educated generations, and offered hope where there was none. But as someone who loves these institutions, I must say the hard truth:
They are mostly not yet sustainable.
Not even close.
Not in their current form.
When we attend ta’leems, seminars, and workshops, what exactly do we focus on? For decades, critical subjects like finance, economic empowerment, and strategic resource mobilization have been treated almost like taboo—as though discussing money somehow diminishes our spirituality. In our fear of “materialism,” we fell into a different but equally harmful trap: institutional poverty.
Yet the Qur’anic guidance is unmistakably balanced: “And seek, through what Allah has given you, the Hereafter, but do not forget your share of this world” (Qur’an 28:77). Unfortunately, we’ve often emphasized one half of this divine equation—focusing on the Hereafter while ignoring our legitimate stake in worldly resources.
This imbalance is evident not just at the personal level, but also within our institutions. Consider how we repeatedly depend on a handful of wealthy individuals to fund every program—as if donor fatigue were a myth. We have yet to fully grasp the immense power of crowdfunding, both in its traditional forms and modern digital platforms, to mobilize large-scale resources for transformative and sustainable impact.
It is only recently that a whisper of economic thinking began to rise in our circles. But even now, most IOs still rely on what I call cap-in-hand fundraising. A few announcements in the masjid. Occasional “launchings.” Events to raise money for specific needs—especially da’wah outings. These are not wrong. But they are insufficient.
Let’s be honest: we have landed properties in strategic urban areas—idle, barren, and often encroached upon—when they could have been thriving investment Waqfs. Estates. Plazas. Guest houses. Clinics. Schools. Businesses. The models exist. The money is there. The needs are screaming. But the strategy is missing.
The Cost of Inaction
How much is spent every year by IOs on hotels in Abuja, Lagos, Kano? In conferences? Retreats? Planning meetings? The irony is that, in Abuja alone, many faith-based groups have strategically located hotels, hostels, and guesthouses that generate revenue day and night. That’s not just hospitality; that’s smart, mission-aligned economics.
Yet, when a few Islamic groups made small attempts—like FOMWAN and JIBWIS—the backlash came from within: “This is not the priority,” “Why a hotel?” “Why not just more preaching?” And so, the seeds of sustainability were uprooted before they could bloom.
Meanwhile, how many IOs can boast of even a modest 10-room guesthouse in Abuja? Even though every year, leaders and members travel to the capital for Islamic meetings and events and bleed funds into hotel bookings?
We say we want to build schools, but we cancel the plans due to “resource shortages.”
We want to train our members, but there’s “no money.”
We have big dreams for youth empowerment, economic inclusion, Daawah outings, but they are all shelved or executed poorly because our finances are weak and dependent.
Even when people embrace Islam in large numbers, we often lack the resources to provide proper 'Welcome to Islam' training or offer them intensive spiritual care for adequate support and guidance.
Let’s talk about the workers too—our da’wah foot soldiers and volunteers who run the secretariats, organize programs, travel across states with fire in their eyes but bills in their pockets. These are brilliant young men and women working for Allah’s cause, but often in poverty, stress, and burnout. Occasionally, some are tempted into mismanaging resources—not necessarily from evil hearts, but from desperation. How long can we keep asking people to serve Islam while their children are out of school and their rent unpaid?
This is not the Islam of legacy. This is not the Islam of Waqf.
The Waqf Revival: Our Golden Opportunity
Waqf—that ancient, noble institution of Islam—is not just about donating to a masjid. It is about building a system that funds Islam forever. It is Islam’s unique instrument for institutionalizing charity and ensuring sustainability in religious and community development.
Through waqf, we can:
Generate stable, long-term revenue for IOs.
Employ da’wah workers and admin staff on dignified salaries.
Fund massive outreach programs without begging.
Build schools, hospitals, and media platforms.
Support widows, orphans, and education consistently.
Raise professionals who are both skilled and spiritual.
Yet, look around: how many IOs have invested in agricultural waqfs?
We pride ourselves on our lands, yet we import dates every Ramadan.
Where are our mango plantations, cashew orchards, grapes farms or shea nut farms?
Nigeria’s comparative advantage is agriculture. So where are the 10,000-acre waqf farms for MSSN, FOMWAN, NIC, JIBWIS, Women in Da'wah, and so on?
The Models We Should Be Emulating
Let’s go abroad for a moment:
Waqaf An-Nur Corporation Berhad (Malaysia): This is not just a waqf, it’s a multi-sectoral institution. They run hospitals, dialysis centers, and medical labs—serving thousands yearly while generating funds to sustain Islamic initiatives. Waqf and corporate strategy meet here.
Muhammadiyah (Indonesia): Through their waqf-based education and health institutions, Muhammadiyah owns hundreds of schools, universities, and hospitals. They train scholars, professionals, and serve society at scale—funded not by handouts but by structured waqf investments.
An Effective Local Model: Islamic Education Trust (IET), Minna
Here in Nigeria, our Islamic Organizations (IOs) don’t have to look far to learn what a functional Waqf ecosystem looks like. The Islamic Education Trust (IET), headquartered in Minna, Niger State, stands as a compelling local model that blends visionary leadership with sustainable waqf practice.
Founded by trailblazers like Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, Hajiya Aisha Lemu (RA), and others (may all of them continue to enjoy Allah's Rahmah), IET has not only preached Islamic values but built structures that outlive its founders. Today, their work continues through a network of waqf-supported initiatives that every IO should study, emulate, and scale.
What are they doing right?
Education Waqfs: IET runs several schools across Minna, Abuja and other states—Nursery, Primary, and Secondary—funded and sustained through a waqf model. These schools are not just service-driven; they generate revenue that feeds back into da’wah and educational projects.
Land and Property Waqfs: IET strategically acquired lands early on and invested in long-term value. Some of these are developed into rentable homes, shops and school campuses, while others serve other commercial or agricultural purposes—generating steady income for the Trust.
IET has a registered Endowment and Waqf unit that manages their assets with professionalism and accountability. This unit is structured with clear policies, audited financials, and a vision that spans generations. Through waqf funds, IET supports Islamic education, women’s development programs, teacher training, Islamic publications, entrepreneurial skills for women and youth, and community welfare—consistently and without perpetual fundraising fatigue.
In essence, IET is proof that local waqf models can work in Nigeria. They have quietly built what many organizations only dream of (actually many are even yet to dream of) —sustainable Islamic impact. Instead of constantly reinventing the wheel, our IOs should collaborate with IET, study their model, and scale it up.
Let’s learn from IET and others like them to reclaim our legacy of sustainable Islamic development. Waqf is not theory—it is already being practiced, here and now. What’s left is for us to follow through.
The Roadmap for Action
It’s time for a paradigm shift. Here is what every serious Islamic organization must begin to implement—urgently:
Dedicate 20–30% of all income and donations to a Waqf Fund. Make this a sacred policy.
Establish a Waqf Foundation or endowment unit—autonomous, professionally run, and legally registered.
Hire professionals—finance experts, real estate managers, waqf scholars, and investment officers.
Identify priority sectors: housing, agriculture, education, hospitality, health.
Start small but strategic: one guesthouse in Abuja, one mango orchard in Taraba, one waqf school in Bauchi.
Educate your members and donors: let them understand that this is not materialism, it is Islam's model of strategic spirituality.
Think beyond your lifetime: Leave a waqf legacy that funds Islam long after your term ends.
A Time for Courage
Gone are the days when IOs should generate funds and spend them all. We can’t wait for emergencies to start fundraising. The Hausa man says “Ba a fafe gora ranar tafiya”—you don’t sharpen your calabash on the day of travel. But that’s what we keep doing.
We start our projects, then realize we have no money.
We call for conferences, then beg for support.
We build half-mosques, half-schools, half-centers—beautiful beginnings with no endings.
Let us end this cycle.
Let us embrace Waqf. Let us build institutions that last. Let us empower our people to serve Islam with dignity. Let us invest in the long-term. Let us rewrite the story of Islamic organizations in Nigeria.
We have the land.
We have the people.
We have the cause.
And now—we must build the will.
Waqf is not a luxury. It is our lost engine of revival. The sooner we revive it, the faster we rise.
Let the meeting start. Let the leaders sit. Let the budgets change. Let the waqf teams be formed. The time is now.
Amir Lamido
[email protected]
Gombe
29 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1446 AH
(27/05/25
