The role of the Hajee Ahmed Mahomed Lockhat Wakuff in the promotion of Arabic and Islamic studies.

Abstract

The operative term in the title is "Wakuff'. It is an Arabic term, commonly used in the Muslim World, with pious implications deep-rooted in the sacred texts. (The Holy Qur'an and the Hadith). A Wakuff is an endowment in perpetuity. The Hajee Ahmed Mahomed Lockhat Wakuff was created in 1933 (in Durban, South Africa). The objective of the Wakuff, as stated by the founder, the late Hajee Ahmed Mahomed Lockhat, was to "Create a fund for charitable, educational and religious purposes in the Union of South Africa....." The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of the Hajee Ahmed Mahomed Lockhat Wakuff in the promotion of Arabic / Islamic Studies. Thus the various learning institutions funded by the Wakuff are identified as well as those institutions that have received assistance directly from the Wakuff, or under the auspices of Islamic Educational Organisation of Southern Africa (IEOSA), the "nerve-centre" of the Islamic educational activities of the Wakuff. In the discussion, the involvement of the Wakuff in the promotion of Arabic / Islamic Studies at the international level is also examined. The South African Muslim community has its own unique social, economic and cultural milieu and the objectives of the Hajee Ahmed Mahomed Lockhat Wakuff have ensured that its' activities are interwoven with the entire religious life and the social economy of Muslims.