Endowments for the Two Holy Mosques

The Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, collectively known as the Two Holy Mosques, have historically benefited from endowments. The use of waqf developed into an important means of financing religious and charitable institutions throughout the Islamic world.

Endowments benefiting the Two Holy Mosques developed under successive Islamic states and included properties whose revenues were allocated to their maintenance, services, and beneficiaries. During the Ottoman period, the administration of these endowments became increasingly institutionalised. A special administration for the endowments of the Two Holy Mosques was established in 995 AH (1587 CE) to supervise their affairs, collect revenues, and distribute the funds allocated to them.

Endowments benefiting the holy sites have continued in the modern Saudi period. The King Abdulaziz Endowment in Mecca, for example, was established on land endowed for the benefit and service of the Grand Mosque.

Endowments during the Rashidun Caliphate

Attention to endowments for the Two Holy Mosques began during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. After becoming caliph, he incorporated the endowment of al-Abbas in Mecca into the expansion of the Masjid al-Haram. "The Masjid al-Haram was enclosed by a wall during the time of the Messenger of God and Abu Bakr, until the time of Umar, when it became too small for the people. Umar expanded it, purchasing houses and demolishing them, and demolishing what was near the mosque. He then paid their owners the prices of the houses. He enclosed it with a low wall, raised lamps on the walls, and constructed the two embankments: the Ajyad embankment and the upper Mecca embankment."

Al-Azraqi mentioned that al-Khattab ibn Nufayl had a house that came into the possession of Umar, between Safa and Marwa. It had two sides, one facing the area between Safa and Marwa and the other facing a passage between two houses. Umar demolished it during his caliphate and made it an open space and a place for pilgrims to camp.

At the Prophet's Mosque, Uthman ibn Affan rebuilt it during his caliphate using stone and plaster, made its columns of stone, and expanded it. He made it 160 cubits long and 150 cubits wide, with six gates, as it had been during the time of Umar.

Endowments during the Umayyad period

The Umayyads established endowments for the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina. Among their most important endowments were sources of drinking water in the two sanctuaries. Muawiya brought springs to the sanctuary and established gardens and enclosures for them. These included the al-Hammam enclosure, so named because the bathhouse was located at its lower end; the Awf enclosure; an enclosure called al-Suffi; one called the Murrish enclosure; Khurman enclosure; Muqaysira enclosure; Hira enclosure; Ibn Tariq enclosure at the lower part of Mecca; Fakh enclosure; and Baldah enclosure. Muawiya brought these springs to Mecca and established them there.

During the reign of Al-Walid I (705–715), Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, then governor of Medina, supervised the reconstruction and expansion of the Prophet's Mosque at the caliph's direction. Al-Walid also instructed Umar to dig wells and improve water supplies in Medina.

Endowments during the Abbasid period

The Abbasids likewise showed great interest in establishing, developing, and diversifying endowments for the Two Holy Mosques. One example was the endowment established by Ali ibn Isa, vizier to al-Muqtadir. He advised al-Muqtadir Billah to establish as endowments the income-generating properties in the City of Peace, whose revenues amounted to about 13,000 dinars, as well as inherited estates in al-Sawad administered by the Privy Treasury, whose revenues exceeded 80,000 dinars, for the benefit of the Two Holy Mosques and the frontier regions. Al-Muqtadir accepted his advice and had judges and witnesses testify to it, and Ali ibn Isa established an administrative bureau for these endowments, which he called the Diwan al-Birr (Bureau of Charitable Endowments).

There was fierce competition among the princes of the Abbasid family in charitable works and in promoting endowments for the Two Holy Mosques. Their impact was not limited to the pilgrimage and pilgrims and the inhabitants of the Two Holy Mosques, but became broader than it had been in the past. It extended to the establishment of hospitals to treat sick pilgrims and visitors, endowed educational schools in the Two Holy Mosques, and libraries, as well as providing financial support for students of religious knowledge there.

These springs of Muawiya later ceased to flow, so Harun al-Rashid ordered some of them to be restored. They were repaired and brought back into use, and their water was directed into a single spring known as al-Rashad. It flowed into the two basins at al-Ma'la and then into the pool near the Masjid al-Haram.

Endowments during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods

During the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, endowments for the Two Holy Mosques became widespread throughout the Islamic world, particularly in Egypt and Bilad al-Sham. This is demonstrated by documents issued by sultans, princes, and other prominent men and women. It was rare to find an endowment deed for a charitable institution or purpose without the Two Holy Mosques receiving a share of it.

As a result of the large number of endowments and charitable trusts during these two periods, three administrative bureaus for endowments were established: the Bureau of Mosque Endowments, the Bureau of Family Endowments, and the Bureau of Endowments for the Two Holy Mosques and other charitable purposes.

Notable endowments during these two periods

• The endowment of Sultan Saladin in Egypt consisted of extensive tracts of land, the revenues from which were sent to Jeddah. At the time, a tax of seven and a half dinars was imposed on every pilgrim traveling to the Hejaz to fund the upkeep of Mecca and Medina and provide assistance to their inhabitants. The Fatimids had gone to great lengths in collecting these taxes, and those unable to pay were subjected to severe punishment. Saladin abolished these taxes and replaced them with assistance from the revenues of the lands he had endowed. An amount equivalent to what had been collected from the pilgrims was paid annually to the people of the Hejaz. This relieved pilgrims of the burden imposed by tax collectors, particularly since a large proportion of them were poor and unable to pay the amounts demanded from them.

• The Mamluk sultan al-Salih Ismail (r. 1342–1345), son of al-Nasir Muhammad, purchased the village of Baysus and established it as a waqf to support the kiswah of the Kaaba.

• The Great Dishisha endowment consisted of a group of endowments, including the Dishisha (Waqf) of Sultan Jaqmaq, the Dishisha of Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay, and the Dishisha of Sultan Barquq. It was among the largest endowments designated for the Two Holy Mosques. When Sultan Qaytbay al-Mahmudi came to power, he added a number of villages and commercial establishments, the revenues of which were used to purchase wheat for the Dishisha distributed to the poor of the Two Holy Mosques. After Qaytbay, subsequent sultans continued to add to it. Whenever a Mamluk sultan came to power, he added lands and houses to the endowment. It continued into the Ottoman period.
• The endowment of Sultan Qaytbay consisted of a commercial establishment and shops at Bab al-Nasr, whose revenues were spent on the affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and on preparing the Dishisha for the people of Medina.

• Ibn al-Muzallaq (Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Bakr) established numerous endowments for the inhabitants of the Two Holy Mosques. He also allocated candles and oil annually for the Prophet's Chamber.

Endowments during the Ottoman Period

The sultans, governors, and notables of the Ottoman Empire took care to establish endowments for the Two Holy Mosques and dedicate their revenues to various services there. As the number and variety of endowments increased, the Ottoman state established administrations and committees to oversee their affairs, including a special committee in 995 AH to supervise the endowments of the Two Holy Mosques. Endowments for the Two Holy Mosques during this period served a variety of purposes, including construction and maintenance, accommodation and imamate, support for students of religious knowledge, lighting and furnishings, as well as services and cleaning. Examples of Ottoman waqf initiatives and surre payments benefiting the Two Holy Mosques included:

• According to the Ottoman chronicler Aşıkpaşazade, the first Ottoman surre payments were made during the reign of Mehmed I, son of Bayezid I, although the exact beginning of the practice is uncertain. Mehmed I also called for the establishment of waqfs to finance repairs to water wells in Mecca.
• Bayezid II, son of Mehmed II, sent 14,000 gold ducats as surre to the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina, with half allocated to each city.

The Ottoman Empire continued to send annual allocations to the Two Holy Mosques, including the kiswah for the Kaaba and charitable establishments, and endowed numerous villages in Egypt and elsewhere for these purposes.

Endowments in the modern period

• Since the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under its founding king, Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi government has devoted particular attention to the Two Holy Mosques. It assumed responsibility for all their requirements, including building expansions, maintenance, and expenditure on all matters relating to the Two Holy Mosques. For this purpose, it established a dedicated administration, the Administration of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, and allocated a separate budget for it within the state budget.
• Among the projects undertaken during the Saudi period was the expansion initiated by King Abdulaziz Al Saud. He ordered the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque, which was carried out by his son, King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Work began in Shawwal 1370 AH and was completed in 1373 AH, covering an area of 16,326 square metres.
• After completing the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque, King Saud bin Abdulaziz resumed work on the expansion of the Masjid al-Haram in 1375 AH. On 4 Rabi al-Thani 1375 AH, preparations for the expansion work began.
• Work continued under Kings Faisal and Khalid. Upon completion of the first Saudi expansion, the Grand Mosque covered an area of 160,168 square metres.
• Under King Fahd, the second Saudi expansion of the Grand Mosque increased its total area to 366,168 square metres, compared with 160,168 square metres after the first expansion.

• According to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Awqaf, King Fahd endowed the Ajyad Fortress property in Mecca for the King Abdulaziz Endowment project. The development includes the seven-tower Clock Towers complex and was completed on 20 January 2007. Its endowment proceeds are allocated to benefit and serve the Grand Mosque.

• Development and expansion projects for the Two Holy Mosques continue to the present day, including ongoing works during the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

See also

• Waqf
• Masjid al-Haram
• Prophet's Mosque
• History of Mecca
• History of Medina
• Hajj
• Umrah
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques