Why ICAST University of Darussalam Gontor?

Why ICAST University of Darussalam Gontor?

Waqf is a social capital instrument which plays an important role in building Islamic civilization.

This is because waqf plays beyond its ritual form; waqf serves as a driving force to prosperity (falah) in both material and spiritual aspect, for both donator (waqif) and beneficiary (mauquf alaih) (Al-Quran, An-Nahl: 97 and Quraish: 1-4). One major challenge faced by waqf today is inability of its trustees (nadzir) to preserve and grow waqf asset. As a result, some waqf assets remain dormant and, in some worst case, deteriorate. Thus, to bring waqf to its optimum potential; from passive asset to productive one, in Indonesia and other Muslim countries, UNIDA Gontor in corporation with Indonesian Central Bank initiated ICAST, International Center for Awqaf Studies. The Center aims to create professional waqf trustees who have entrepreneurship spirit and able to integrate spiritual and moral values by a systematic, rational, and methodological way of thinking.