الوقف على البحث العلمي، ودوره في تحقيق التنمية المستدامة

Endowments for Scientific Research and Their Role in Achieving Sustainable Development

Abstract

This study focuses on a particular type of endowment, namely the scientific endowment (waqf ‘ilmi). It specifically examines endowments dedicated to scientific research, which, in the present era, have become an urgent necessity for keeping pace with leading scientific institutions, research centres, and prestigious global universities that have allocated endowments for research. In fact, some universities are fundamentally endowed institutions. Endowments for scientific research represent one of the most contemporary approaches that many Muslim benefactors have overlooked. The idea of writing on endowments for scientific research arises from a desire to contribute to the revival and renewal of the concept of waqf, as well as to highlight its contemporary applications, foremost among them endowments for scientific research. This study adopts a scientific methodology, employing inductive and descriptive approaches, along with analysis and inference. The study arrives at several key findings, the most important of which is that waqf is legislated for the benefit and development of society, while at the same time ensuring continuous reward and ongoing benefit for the donor. The study also identifies several fields in which endowments for scientific research may be established and affirms their legitimacy. It concludes with a set of recommendations, the most notable being the adoption by research universities in the Muslim world of endowment projects for scientific research, within established conditions and regulations, in order to advance scientific development and keep pace with developed nations. The research is organised into four main sections, in addition to an introduction and conclusion. The first section discusses the concept and importance of scientific endowments. The second addresses the legitimacy, origins, and legal rulings of waqf. The third highlights the importance of knowledge for Muslims and the relationship between waqf and sustainable development. The fourth examines endowments for scientific research in the contemporary era, including their forms and types, and the study concludes with a set of findings and recommendations.