The 1925 Waqf Crisis: Islamic Endowments and Colonial Power in Jerusalem

In 1925, a little-known confrontation over Islamic charitable endowments—waqf—erupted in Jerusalem, pitting the Supreme Muslim Council against the British Mandate administration. This episode unpacks the struggle over the Haram al-Sharif's funds, the role of the Shari'a court, and how the British attempt to audit waqf revenues triggered a crisis that reshaped Palestinian political consciousness. Featuring figures like Haj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti who turned waqf into a nationalist tool, and the British high commissioner Lord Plumer, whose demand for financial transparency sparked protests from Nablus to Hebron. We explore the 1922 Constitution of Palestine, the role of the Muslim-Christian associations, and how waqf property—hundreds of buildings, olive groves, and grain mills—became a battleground over sovereignty. The episode reveals how a 14th-century legal tradition collided with 20th-century colonialism, and why the crisis ended with the British backing down, but not before deepening the wedge between Jerusalem's religious leaders and the Mandate state.

#Waqf #SupremeMuslimCouncil #HajAminAlHusseini #Jerusalem #BritishMandate #HaramAlSharif #ShariaCourt #IslamicEndowments #Palestine #1925 #LordPlumer #Colonialism #MiddleEast #OttomanLegacy #PalestinianHistory #History #FexingoHistory #Decolonization

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo