Abstract :
ABSTRACT: Vaqf or religious endowments are an Islamic tradition of long standing which continue to this day. It is a philanthropic act in the name of Islam for the benefit of the needy or religious scholarship or worship. In fact, it could be said that vaqf performed some of the duties which shoul have been performed by the government. With the onest of the Constitutional Revolution, attitudes changed. The government was expected ti take care of the poor and the orphans, to provide health care and education, as well as famine relief, etc. There was also a new sense of responsibility amongst the public. With the rise of nationalism and the modern trends modeled on western dociety, there was a new attitude to wards charitable endowments. Whereas the nature of Vaqf was religiously inspired, the new charitable acts were undertaken in the name of the homeland Vatan and for the sake of the hamvatan. This new feeling of responsibility is disernable in the building and endowing of new schools,hospitals, dispensaries, orphaneges, etc. This paper examines for the first time the legal and social aspects of this development and ensuing results. The sources are deeds of endowment in the National Library and Archives Organisation of Iran and Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization of Iran, besides the articles and letters written to this effect in the newspapers.
