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An Analysis of Waqf Stipulations and Their Functions in the Safavid Sufi Order
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Parisa Gorbannejad *    |
| Associate Professor in History of Culture and Civilization of Islamic Nation,Alzahra University,Tehran, Iran , Ghorbannejad@alzahra.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (12 Views) |
| Waqf, as one of the most enduring institutions in Islamic civilization, carried not only legal and economic functions but also broad social and spiritual significance within Sufi traditions. This study examines the stipulations of waqf deeds in Ṣarīḥ al-Mulk, a collection of endowment deeds and related documents concerning the shrine of Shaykh Ṣafī al-Dīn Ardabīlī. The text provides valuable evidence on the administrative, economic, and legal organization of the Ardabil khānaqāh. It thus sheds light on the consolidation and expansion of the Safavid order before the rise of the Safavid state. Using a descriptive-analytical method and content analysis of the deeds preserved in this source, the study shows that Safavid donors employed a combination of legal, organizational, spiritual, and socio-economic conditions to construct a coherent framework for managing endowed resources. These stipulations secured the spiritual continuity and economic stability of the khānaqāh, while also generating social capital and sustaining a broad network of followers. In this sense, waqf conditions in the Safavid order functioned not merely as legal clauses but as institutional mechanisms for resource management, social organization, and the gradual transformation of a Sufi order into political authority. |
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| Keywords: Waqf, Waqf Stipulations, Safavid Order, Ṣarīḥ al-Mulk, Ardabil Khānaqāh, Sufi Endowments. |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
History of Islamic Civilization
Received: 2026/05/19 | Revised: 2026/10/3 | Accepted: 2026/10/3 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/10/3
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