Endowment
Waqf – The Foundation for our Future
Endowments can help us recruit and retain top faculty and students, support experiential learning, give our students and faculty access to the technology they need to be first class, and support or even create special programs that enrich the BHA-Houston experience. Donors name their endowments, and in doing so can forever link themselves to BHA-Houston, or pay tribute to or memorialize family members or friends.
What is a Waqf (Endowment)?
An endowment (Waqf) is a fund that makes consistent withdrawals from invested capital to help support the institution. A significant portion of total endowment withdrawals, an average of 49%, are typically used to pay for student scholarships. Endowment funds are typically funded entirely by donations that are deductible for the donors.
Why Endowment Funds?
Endowments (Waqfs) have played a major role in Islamic history. According to a recent study by Yaqeen Institute, more than half of the real estate in the Ottoman Empire during its peak was classified as an endowment (waqf). In fact, endowments were so popular that they were seen as the vehicle for financing Islamic education, services, supporting religious, social, cultural, and economic activities. In addition, endowments provides sustainability funds to support the highest quality education and latest technology and resources.
When a human being dies, their work comes to an end, except for three things: ongoing charity, knowledge benefited from, or a pious child who prays for them. Educating a person is the fulfillment of all three forms of continuous charity and was considered the highest form of continuous charity in early Muslim society.
Development waqf (endowment) institutions focused on learning, education, and research was considered by early scholars and historians to be the focus and reason for success for the early Islamic society. Integration of place of worship and learning together as waqfs for the source of inspiration for many educational institutions in West and current establishments.
These institutions produced a learned society throughout the Muslim world and helped foster the cross-pollination of ideas and inspirations that helped enhance Muslim society further. The establishment of such waqfs enabled the development of smaller, more influential communal waqfs to emerge in a variety of ways which paved the way for a new era of waqf creation that transformed Muslim society in general. This also ushered in a transformation in Muslim women’s leadership and education and aided in the dispensing of Muslim social services.
BHA-Houston’s vision is to establish educational institutions focused on early childhood and life long learners that understand the pure essence of Islamic teachings. Educating Humanity to Serve God. Institutions like BHA-Houston, Qalam Institute others help provide a foundation for the growth of existing organizations with proper modern-day facilities and resources.
Development of digital media, online learning, Quranic Arabic curriculum for elementary and middle schoolers helping individuals learn Quranic Arabic, Tarbiyah and Academic excellence to excel in this life and the hereafter.