For centuries, Waqf (Awqaf) has served as one of the strongest socio-economic pillars of the Muslim community — funding education, healthcare, poverty relief, religious services, and community welfare. Gujarat is blessed with thousands of Waqf properties of immense historical, religious, and economic value.
Yet today, Waqf in Gujarat faces a deep crisis — one built slowly through decades of neglect, administrative failure, and community silence.
After six months of on-ground work — visiting Waqf lands, reviewing documents, meeting trustees, and studying the system from inside — one truth has become painfully clear:
The Waqf ecosystem in Gujarat is collapsing due to both systemic failures and human failures.
As the proverb says:
“Kuch Loha Khota, Kuch Lohar.”
Some of the system is broken, and some of the workers responsible for it are not fulfilling their duty.
Before pointing fingers outward, we must first ask ourselves:
“Why should we blame someone when we ourselves have not maintained the critical records of the Awqaf?”
The Documentation Collapse: The Heart of the Crisis
The backbone of any Waqf trust — the Public Trust Register (PTR) — is in a disastrous condition across the state:
PTRs not updated for 10–20 years
Names of deceased trustees still listed
New committees never formed
No auditor appointed for years
No survey updates
No minutes, no resolutions
No rental agreements for valuable properties
Even worse:
In many cases, old trust files are missing from the Waqf Board itself.
Original PTRs, survey maps, resolutions — all untraceable.
Without documentation, neither trustees nor the Board can act legally.
This is administrative paralysis.
Outdated Surveys, Missing Boundaries, Legal Weakness
Most trusts are still using:
Survey numbers from the 1950s–70s
No GIS mapping
No boundary marking
No updated revenue entries
This leaves Waqf properties legally vulnerable, making encroachers stronger than trustees in many disputes.
Encroachments — A Growing Threat
Encroachments are growing rapidly because:
Trustees hesitate to take action
Missing documents weaken legal claims
No physical boundary exists
Lack of coordination with district authorities
Without immediate Section 54 action and district enforcement support, Waqf land will continue to disappear.
Tribute to Senior Waqf Activists — and a Reflection on Community Behaviour
Across Gujarat and India, countless senior Waqf activists, researchers, lawyers, and community elders have worked tirelessly for decades to protect Waqf properties. Their dedication deserves immense respect.
But the community’s reaction has remained the same:
“Aag lage to paani dhoondne nikalna.”
We only respond after the fire burns the house down.
We rarely think with planning and foresight:
“Baad aane se pehle paal baandhi jaye.”
Prepare the levee before the flood arrives.
As intellectuals and seasoned activists grow older, step aside, or lose hope, the number of voices with deep knowledge is decreasing.
Today, people like myself — who know far less than those seniors — are forced to raise these issues simply because silence has become too dangerous.
A heartfelt salute to every Waqf activist who worked tirelessly in the past.
I am intentionally not naming anyone, because missing even a single name would be unfair.
This tribute is for ALL of them — for their courage, knowledge, sacrifices, and commitment to protecting the Amanat of Allah.
Leadership Failure at the State Waqf Board
No honest Waqf assessment can ignore the failure of past Waqf Board leadership.
For years, the Board functioned more like a political extension than a professional regulatory body:
Members appointed for party loyalty, not expertise
More love for the post than the responsibility
Rarely visiting the ground
Zero urgency for document digitisation
Little to no enforcement of Waqf laws
No statewide PTR updating drive
No transparency in operations
Many people inside and outside the system openly say:
“Waqf Board wale tabhi kuch karte hain jab unke string pullers bolte hain.”
This perception — whether fully accurate or not — exposes a deep trust deficit.
If the Board had been active…
If trustees had been active…
If Mutawallis had been active…
— Awqaf would NOT be in this condition today.
When leadership stays in offices while problems grow in fields, collapse is inevitable.
This criticism is not for humiliation —
it is a call for higher standards, accountability, and sincerity.
6. The Mindset Crisis — The Most Painful Reality
During field interactions, trustees repeatedly said:
“Hame nahi malum tha.”
“Purane log sambhalte the.”
“Itni jhanjhat kaun kare?”
“Main resign karne wala hoon.”
“Meri family bhi hai.”
Yet these same individuals, when purchasing personal property, check:
Titles
Survey numbers
Litigation
Documentation
Future risks
This reveals a stark contradiction:
Personal property = full diligence
Waqf property = full negligence
Until this mindset changes, no administrative reform will succeed.
Financial MismanagementAcross trusts, one sees:
No accounting
No audits
No rent agreements
Rent far below market rate
Cash-based systems
No budgeting
Crores in assets are generating only hundreds in income.
Underutilisation of Waqf Properties
With professional planning, Waqf land could support:
Hostels
Hospitals
Schools
Community centres
Skill development centres
Senior care homes
Scholarships
Welfare schemes
But most properties lie idle, underdeveloped, or mismanaged.
A Final Example — Our Contradictory Reality
There is a proverb that perfectly describes our attitude:
“Na lage haldi, na lage mehndi aur rang aaye chokha.”
We expect the best results —
while doing none of the work required to achieve those results.
We don’t update documents,
don’t maintain records,
don’t develop properties,
don’t enforce boundaries,
don’t hold trustees accountable —
Yet we expect Waqf to flourish magically.
If we don’t apply the basic ingredients,
how can the colour ever come out bright?
A Community Appeal: Ab Nahi Toh Kab?
Today, the community must collectively ask:
“Ab nahi toh kab?”
If not now, when?
Kab hum apne ego aur hawas ko maarenge?
Kab hum imandari se ummat ki bhalai ka kaam karenge?
Ummat-e-Mohammadiya kab jaagegi?
Kya sab Imam Mehdi aur Isa (A.S.) ke aane ke baad hi hoga?
If the institutions collapse today, who will answer tomorrow?
Allah’s guidance is clear:
“Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
(Qur’an 13:11)
The time to awaken is NOW.
The Path Forward — A Practical Reform Roadmap
Phase 1: Documentation (0–6 months)
Digitise all records
Update PTRs
Reconstruct missing files
Phase 2: Governance (6–12 months)
Trustee training
Reconstitute inactive committees
Implement compliance calendars
Phase 3: Enforcement (12–18 months)
Encroachment action
Boundary marking
District coordination
Phase 4: Development (18–36 months)
Masterplanning
PPP development
Income generation for community welfare
Conclusion
The decline of Waqf in Gujarat is not accidental —
it is the product of systematic negligence, outdated processes, political interference, missing documentation, inactive leadership, and community inaction.
But every problem is fixable.
With unity, reform, professionalism, transparency, and sincerity, Waqf can once again uplift generations of our community.
This article is written with one purpose:
**To awaken responsibility.
Ab nahi toh kab?**
Disclaimer
The writer’s intention is not to hurt, target, or criticise any individual trustee, Mutawalli, or Board member.
All observations are based entirely on personal field experience.
The purpose is constructive — to highlight issues and encourage meaningful reform.
