The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under The British Mandate For Palestine

317 Pages·1987·8.532 MB·English

by  Uri M. Kupferschmidt

THE SUPREME MUSLIM
COUNCIL
ISLAM UNDER THE BRITISH MANDATE FOR
PALESTINE
BY
URI M. KUPFERSCHMIDT
E.J. BRILL
LEIDEN • NEW YORK • K0BENHAVN • KOLN
1987
Published with financial support from:
The Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research
(Z.W.O^ The Hague;
The Lucius FT. Littauer Foundation, New York;
The Harry S. Truman Research Institute, The Hebrew University,
Jerusalem;
The Haifa University Press, Haifa.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kupferschmidt, Uri M.
The Supreme Muslim Council
A revision of the author's thesis (Ph.D.)—Hebrew
University.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Majlis al-Sharci al-Islami al-Acla (Palestine)
2. Islam—Palestine—History—20th century. 3. Islam
and politics—Palestine. 4. Palestine—History—1917-
1948. I. Title.
BP63.P3K87 1987 297\1977’0605694 87-6370
ISBN 90-04-07929-7
ISBN 90 04 07929 7
Copyright 1987 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission from the publisher
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS BY E. J. BRILL
In Memory of My Father

CONTENTS
Preface............................................................................................... xi
Note on Transliteration and Currencies........................................ xv
List of Abbreviations........................................................................ xvi
Introduction.......................................................................................... 1
The Organization of the Arab and Jewish Communities in
Palestine..................................................................................... 1
Colonial Policies vis-a-vis Islamic Affairs in General............... 5
New Concepts Towards the End of the Nineteenth Century... 9
The Administration of Muslim Religious Affairs under the
Mandates.................................................................................... 13
I. The Establishment of the Supreme Muslim Council.................... 17
Initial British Policies............................................................ 17
Hajj Amin al-Husaynl’s Appointment as Mufti of Jeru­
salem.................................................................................... 19
“The Committee for Moslem Religious Affairs” .............. 21
The Order of 20 December 1921: Establishment of the
Supreme Muslim Council and First Elections................ 24
The Elections of 1926............................................................ 28
The Position of the Ra^is al-^Ulamd?.................................... 31
The Ordinances of 1926 and 1929 ...................................... 33
The Council's Non-Compliance with the Order of 1921 35
II. Attempts to Reform the Supreme Muslim Council...................... 38
British Attitudes Regarding Dissatisfaction with the
Council................................................................................ 38
Attempts to Revise the Order of 1921................................. 40
Sir Arthur Wauchope as High Commissioner.................... 43
The Government Agreements with the Council of 1932 and
1934..................................................................................... 48
The Outbreak of the Arab Rebellion and the Ousting of
Hajj Amin.......................................................................... 53
III. The Supreme Muslim Council’s Machinery................................ 57
The Council's Own Understanding of its Tasks................ 57
Personnel in the Pay of the Council................................... 58
The Inner Organization of the Council.............................. 63
VIII CONTENTS
Nepotism and Favouritism................................................... 66
The Council and Politics....................................................... 71
Activities in the Rural Areas................................................. 74
IV. Muftis, ~Qadxs and Sharia Courts............................................. 78
The Muftis............................................................................. 78
Jurisdiction of the Sharia Courts ....................................... 84
The Qadls and Other Sharia Court Employees................ 92
Sharia Courts and the Rural Population........................... 98
V. Ottoman and British Policies Towards Waqfs in Palestine.......... 102
The Nature of Waqf Properties-in General........................ 102
Historical Survey of Waqfs in Palestine.............................. 104
The Extent of Waqf Properties in the Ottoman Empire, and
in Palestine............................................................................ 106
Examples of Some Important Waqfs in Palestine.............. Ill
Ottoman Waqf Reform........................................................... 114
British Reversal of Ottoman Policies...................................... 117
Awqaf Mundarisa........................................................................ 119
Waqf Disputes........................................................................... 123
VI. Waqf Activities........................................................................... 129
The Liabilities of the Waqf Administration........................ 129
The Restoration of the Haram al-Sharlf............................... 129
The Restoration and Construction of Mosques................. 133
Waqf Properties of a Secular Nature..................................... 135
The Council’s Educational Activities and the Orphanage 139
Libraries, Clinics, and Charity............................................... 144
VII. Waqf Management by the Supreme Muslim Council.................... 146
The General Waqf Committee and the Local Waqf Com­
mittees, and the Ma?murs of Awqaf..................................... 146
Waqf Personnel in General..........:....................................... 150
The Degree of Administrative Efficiency.............................. 153
Hikr, Ijaratayn and Istibdal Transactions................................. 155
Public Tenders.......................................................................... 158
Misappropriation and Mismanagement................. 159
The Supervision over Private Waqfs and Mutawallis: Some
Examples................................................................................ 163
VIII. The Supreme Muslim Council9s Finances...................................... 168
The Financial Statements Published by the Council......... 168
CONTENTS IX
Revenues................................................................................ 172
Expenditure............................................................................ 176
The Indebtedness of the Council ........................................ 180
Tithe Commutations and the Agreements of 1932 and 1934 182
The Supplemental Agreement of 1948................................ 184
A Comparison with Neighbouring Countries..................... 185
IX. Pan-Islamic Tendencies and the General Muslim Congress of 1931 187
The Pan-Islamic Trend in Palestinian Politics................... 187
Pan-Islamic Meetings before 1931....................................... 189
Who took the Initiative for the 1931 Congress?................ 192
Preparations and Obstacles................................................... 198
The Participants .................................................................... 204
The Proceedings of the Congress........................................ 207
The Implementation of the Congress’s Decisions.............. 214
The Impact of the Congress in Palestine........................... 218
X. Islam on the Defensive............................................................. 221
The Character of Islam in Mandatory Palestine................ 221
Disengagement from the Ottoman Empire......................... 222
Political Rituals and Religious Symbols.............................. 228
The Muslim Holy Places...................................................... 237
Palestine as a Muslim Holy Country.................................. 240
The Defense of Islamic Morals............................................ 247
Jihad........................................................................................ 253
Epilogue.............................................................................................. 255
The Council between 1937 and 1948 .................................. 255
Jordanian Policies ......•>......................................................... 257
The Management by the State of Israel of Muslim Religious
Affairs................................................................................. 258
The Muslim Council of Jerusalem after 1967 .................... 259
Appendix I : The Order Establishing the Supreme Muslim Council..... 262
Appendix II : The Composition of the Supreme Muslim Council......... 266
Appendix III: List of Participants in the General Muslim Congress..... 267
Glossary............................................................................................. 272
Bibliography...................................................................................... 275
General Index.................................................................................... 288