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Waqf of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه
Imam Shāfi’ī رحمه الله stated: “The people of the pre-Islamic era did not dedicate any houses or land as an act of devotion by endowing them. Rather, it was the people of Islam who introduced endowments”.[1]
There is some discussion surrounding what was the first waqf in Islam. A previous paper discussed Bi’r Rūmā, another early waqf. This current piece will discuss the famous waqf of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه of his land at Khaybar. The incident is mentioned as follows:
Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما reported that ‘Umar رضي الله عنه once acquired a piece of land from Khaybar. He said, "O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, I have received a piece of land from Khaybar, and I have never received wealth better than this. What do you advise me to do?" The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ replied, "If you wish, retain ownership of the asset and give charity from its profits." So, ‘Umar رضي الله عنه made the land a waqf, stipulating that it could neither be sold, gifted, nor inherited. He gave charity from its profits to the poor, the needy, travellers, for the manumission of slaves, to warriors in the path of Allāh ﷻ, and to guests. The one entrusted with managing the waqf was permitted to use it modestly for themselves and to feed a friend, without taking personal gain from it[2]. ‘Umar رضي الله عنه bequeathed its management first to the Mother of the Believers, Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها, and then to the senior members of his family[3].
Before moving on to certain details, a few important points are required to be noted here:
- ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه chose to donate the wealth dearest to him, demonstrating that the most virtuous form of charity is giving from what one holds most beloved.
- ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه sought guidance from the Prophet ﷺ on how to give charity in the best way. This highlights the importance of seeking advice from those with knowledge to ensure our charity is as impactful and meaningful as possible.
- The Prophet ﷺ advised the making the land into waqf, as the scope of people that will benefit from it is broad.
- The administrator (mutawallī) is allowed to take an appropriate income.
What is Khaybar?
At the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Khaybar was a well-fortified, wealthy region known for its fertile land, date palms, and strongholds. It was located about 150 km north of Madinah and primarily inhabited by Jewish tribes.
- Khaybar was an agricultural powerhouse, producing dates and other crops that supported its people and created wealth
- It was composed of multiple fortresses spread across the region, making it a formidable stronghold.
- The Jewish tribes in Khaybar had maintained political and trade relations with other Arabian tribes, including the Quraysh of Makkah.
After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah with Quraysh, the Prophet ﷺ turned attention to Khaybar due to their alliances with Quraysh and hostile intentions towards Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ marched with some 1400 companions towards Khaybar. Allāh ﷻ refers to this victory in the Qur’ān:
وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةًتَأْخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ
Allāh ﷻ has promised you much booty, and has hastened you this (Sūrah Fatḥ 20)
The booty that was hastened for the believers was Khaybar.[4]After a series of intense battles across the fortified strongholds of Khaybar, the Muslims achieved a decisive victory. Eventually, the Jewish inhabitants sought a truce, which the Prophet ﷺ accepted. As part of the agreement, they were required to leave their lands and go into exile, bringing Khaybar under Muslim control.
It is here that ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه acquires this land. The specific land that he had was known as Thamg[5]. The responsibility of the waqf was given to Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها, and thereafter to the senior members alive from his family. In one wording it states ‘The people of wisdom and opinion from the family of ʿUmar’.[6] ‘Umar ibn Shabbah narrates from Abu Ghassān (d. circa 170h) that he had transcribed the actual waqf document of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.[7] This again demonstrates the care with which the waqf was taken care of.
This is an exploration of one of the earliest waqfs in Islam — a powerful reminder of the lasting impact charitable endowments can have. It should inspire us to pursue similar initiatives to ensure our wealth continues to benefit others long after we’re gone. In a previous post, we discussed the remarkable waqf of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān رضي الله عنه, which astonishingly still survives today. Such legacies are a testament to how wisely invested charity can outlive generations, serving as a continuous source of reward and benefit to the community. Let’s take inspiration from these early pioneers and consider how we, too, can create enduring change.
[1] Shāfi’ī, al-Umm(Mansoura: Dār al-Wafā’) 5/107.
[2] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (2737).
[3] Abū Bakr al-Khaṣṣāf, Aḥkām al-Awqāf, pp. 5-6.
[4] See Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, 22/230.
[5] There is some discussion regarding Thamg, Imām al-Samhūdī states ‘With a fatḥah on the "tha" and a"ghayn" with a dot (معجمة), it is apiece of land in Khaybar that belonged to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه). This was mentioned by Al-Majd, citing the hadith from al - Daraqutni, which states that ʿUmar acquired land in Khaybar called Thamgh. He consulted the Prophet (ﷺ), who advised him: "Keep the land itself and give its yield in charity."
In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that ʿUmar gave in charity a piece of property called Thamgh, which consisted of date palms — this is mentioned in the hadith.
It was also previously noted in the section on the dwellings of the Jews that Banu Mazanah lived in the northern part of Banu Ḥārithah’s territory and that among their fortresses (āṭām) in the area was a fortress known asal-Shaʿbān, located within Thamgh, part ofʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb’s charitable endowment (ṣadaqah), as mentioned by Ibn Zabālah.
Additionally, in one of the narrations of ʿUmar’s endowment recorded by Ibn Shabbah, it mentions that ʿUmar acquired land from the Jews of Banu Ḥārithah, specifically called Thamgh.
Al-Wāqidī also mentions the alignment of the people of Madinah along the trench during the Battle of al-Ḥarrah. He then describes a duel that took place near Dhabāb up to Kūmat Abī al-Ḥamrāʾ, explaining that Kūmat Abī al-Ḥamrāʾ was a village from the area of Thamgh.’ Wafā’al-wafā bi akhbār dār al-muṣṭafā (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah) 4/41.
[6] Musnad Aḥmad (6078).
[7] Fatḥal-bārī, 5/402.