Agra | The Imam of Masjid Neharwali, Muhammad Iqbal, addressed about the Muslim Waqf Board in today’s Friday sermon. He said, how regretful it is that our elders dedicated valuable properties as ‘Waqf’ for a noble cause and for Allah’s pleasure, and yet, we were unable to protect them. Today, the very spirit of Waqf has disappeared from within us. Why is the government so focused on Muslim Waqf? It is perhaps the largest Waqf in the country, possessing so much property. This wealth is so vast that your calculator would fail to calculate its worth. For this reason, the government is trying to take control of it in a way. You can understand it as the government trying to invade our homes and loot our assets. You should know that the Indian Railways holds a large piece of land that belongs to Muslim Waqf. The international airport in Delhi is also built on Waqf land. The five-star Oberoi Hotel in Delhi is on Waqf property as well. The list is so long; how much can I enumerate? One of the most expensive houses in the world, a palace-like tower in Mumbai owned by a major businessman of the country, where he recently held his son’s wedding, is also on Muslim Waqf land. This house, built on 4532 square meters in South Mumbai, is proof that through collusion, this land was sold for a pittance. It used to be an ‘orphanage’ under the supervision of the Waqf Board in 1895. We sold it ourselves in 2002 for 2.5 million dollars, whereas its market value at that time was 18 million dollars. Similarly, all over the country, we have embezzled the wealth of our elders. Such incidents can be found in every city of the country. This is why the government wants to seize it. We are also responsible. The noble purpose for which these properties were dedicated as Waqf, we have failed to fulfill. However, the support the Muslim Waqf received from the opposition in Parliament at this time is commendable. This is why the bill could not be passed. But we also need to look within ourselves. The entire Muslim community must unite and fight this battle together, without any sectarian division. Only then will the opposition stand with you. This is an opportunity to unite and become one voice; otherwise, your story will be lost among the tales of the past. May Allah grant us the right understanding. Aameen.
It is our incompetence that we were unable to protect the wealth of our elders : Muhammad Iqbal
