Jakarta, MINA – Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, has expressed his intention to learn from countries like Turkey and Jordan in managing waqf (Islamic endowments), which he sees as powerful tools for social development.
The Minister made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the Amaliah Astra Foundation at the Ministry’s office in Jakarta on Tuesday.
“Turkey has successfully built numerous schools using waqf funds. Jordan and Kuwait have also made waqf a central pillar of their social development strategies,” he said.
He emphasized that Indonesia’s waqf potential is enormous and could even surpass that of zakat (almsgiving). Its flexibility makes it a strategic instrument for long-term community empowerment.
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During the meeting, the Minister also stressed the need to strengthen the role of mosques, not only as places of worship but also as centers for community development and spiritual education.
He praised Amaliah Astra Foundation for its mosque-based empowerment programs, including the management of 332 mosques and prayer spaces, international Qur’an memorization competitions, vocational training for the underprivileged, volunteer training for funeral services, and the development of a transparent mosque finance app.
Chairman of Amaliah Astra Foundation, Riza Deliansyah, expressed appreciation for the Ministry’s support of their community initiatives. He hoped the ongoing collaboration would continue to improve the quality of life and self-reliance of the Muslim community in Indonesia. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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