ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book examines colonial regimes attempted to impose Western legal norms on their Muslim populations. It describes the conditions in Mandatory Palestine which allowed the waqf to maintain its status and centrality in Muslim society, and, to a certain extent, even to strengthen its hold. The patterns of waqf management in Mandatory Palestine were different from those chosen by other non-Muslim regimes, whether merely mandatory or full-fledged colonial administrations. The status of the waqf in society should not be assessed under the institutional aspect, which is all too often shaped by political aims and considerations. At a time when the waqf institution tended towards extinction in most Muslim countries, it continued to occupy an important place among the Muslims of Mandatory Palestine. It also filled a void by providing the population with public services and with a lever for economic development.
