Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board or A.P. State Wakf Board, generally called the Muslim Wakf Board, is a constituted Board established by the 1954 Central Act to look after the exclusive affairs of Muslim Wakf properties, Wakf institutions and Muslim Marriage Records of the Muslim community of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is generally known and writes under the name and style of Muslim Wakf Board.
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It was formerly known as Umoor-E-Mazhabi established in 1396 and Fasli during the Nizams rule in Hyderabad State.
History
In the erstwhile Hyderabad State, all religious matters including endowments and Wakf institutions were being administered and controlled by the Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs (known as Umoore-Mazhabi established in the 1349 Fasli). The Central Wakf Act 1954 was approved by the Parliament on 31 May 1954. This act was extended to Hyderabad on 15 January 1955 and to the whole of Andhra Pradesh on 1 April 1955.
The Raj Pramukh of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, established a board to look exclusively the affairs of Wakf under the name and style of Muslim Wakf Board by notification number 90 dated 13 January 1955 published in Hyderabad Gazette which became effective from 15 January 1955. Wakf Act 1995 came into force from 1 January 1996 replacing the 1954 Wakf Act.
Muslim Wakf Board was constituted under provisions of Wakf Act in July 1996. Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of being the first state in India to have framed elections rules under this Act and conducted elections and, thus, the A.P.S. Wakf Board has the distinction of being the first board in the country to have been constituted under the provisions of the new Act. Under the provisions of Wakf Act 1995 the Wakf Board is a corporate body having perpetual succession.
During Nizams
His Exalted Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad promulgated a regulation of 1349 Fasli, known as Hyderabad Endowment Regulations under which a Nazim Umoor E Mazhabi (Director, Ecclesiastical Department) was appointed to supervise Wakf administration on behalf of the government. These regulations though brief, provided for every important aspect of Wakf administration in the erstwhile Hyderabad government. It contained 16 sections and provided for registration of Wakf properties, maintenance of Kitab Ul Awqaf (Wakf Register) (S3-11) in the prescribed manner by the Nazim.
The unique feature of the Hyderabad Endowment Regulations, 1349 Fasli was its secular character which provided for registration and the supervision of not only the Hindu and Muslim Wakfs but endowments of all religions. Therefore, the rules made under these regulations were very exhaustive, numbering about 525.
Properties
The first survey of Wakf property was taken up during 1955 to 1965 under Section 4 of the Wakf Act 1954. According to that survey 35,703 Wakf institutions were identified.
In the more than 40 years from the first survey, many Wakf institutions have been registered or identified. To cover all these properties a second survey has been started.
Welfare activities
The Muslim Wakf Board of A.P. looks after the benefits of Muslim residents of Hyderabad and in general Andhra Pradesh. They organize mass marriages of Muslims communities' poor people. They provide or sponsor vocational technical training for Muslim youths.
The Muslim Wakf Board sponsors orphanages in many cities of A.P. The most famous one is Anees-ul-Gurba, an orphanage at Nampally, Hyderabad.
Encroachment
Most of the Wakf properties had been encroached by the land mafia and land grabbers of the city.
Protecting Organisation
Many organisation such as Shia Companions wakf protection front and others are working voluntary to protect the renaming wakf land and taking measures to restore the encroached endowed land.