TRUST ME! A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA’S WAQF FUND
Abstract
This paper documents the development of the International Islamic
University Malaysia’s waqf Fund (IIUMWF) from its inception in 1999 to the present
as well as examining its accounting practice. Specifically, we examined four pertinent
areas: the management of the fund, the fundraising activities (and the types of
funds, waqf khass or waqf [amm), the programmes undertaken and the accounting
practices of the IIUMWF. The theoretical framework is based on the Islamic concept
of accountability. On this, there are two pertinent issues addressed in this study.
The first is on disclosure and the second assesses the performance of the waqf. We
examined the accounts of the IIUMWF and benchmarked against the framework
developed by Ihsan and Shahul (2007). As for performance, we computed three ratios
to assess its efficiency: ‘Programme Expenses to Total Expenses’, ‘Investment Income
to Average Investment’, and ‘Fund Raising Expenses to Total Related Contributions’.
We concluded our paper with various suggestions and recommendations for further
improvements in the management and accounting practices of waqfs in general and
the IIUM waqf Fund in particular.