ABSTRACT
Waqf has been an inseparable part of the Islamic civilization and it has played a central role in Islamic Iranian society, economy, and politics from the very beginning of Islam’s presence in Iran. It is the aim of this chapter to present a holistic historical and contemporary analysis on the practices and the institution of waqf in Iran. After the introductory section, the chapter will present a historical preview of waqf in Iranian society. The following section will present a snapshot of the current landscape of waqf in Iran focusing mainly on the period in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Given the immense size of awqaf in Iran and its centrality in Iran’s socio-economic fabric, regulation and supervision of awqaf is of paramount importance, a topic that is briefly discussed in the next part of this chapter. Brief case studies of some of Iran’s famous awqaf that are not primarily dedicated to religious activities are then given. The final section concludes the chapter.
