Tech Waqf Initiative
Here’s to the ones who see things differently.
The ones who refuse to accept the world as it is.
Every so often, a revolutionary idea comes along that changes everything. An idea that doesn’t just improve things, but reimagines them entirely. An idea so simple, yet so profound, it realigns the future.
For centuries, our Ummah has been a cradle of civilization, giving the world breakthroughs in science, in art, in ethics. But today, in the digital age, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We live our lives on platforms built in someone else's image, governed by rules we didn’t write.
We’ve seen it. We've felt it. When a genocide unfolds in Gaza, our voices are systematically silenced. Our narratives erased. Our search for justice is flagged as a violation of "community standards." But it is worse than that. Some of the very technologies we use every day have been weaponized, repurposed to fuel and enable this destruction with terrifying efficiency. This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system. We are digital tenants on land we do not own, and the rent is our sovereignty.
This ends now.
We believe that the most powerful tool for change in the 21st century is technology. But not just any technology. We need technology with a soul. Technology built on a different foundation.
And our foundation is one of the most powerful, time-tested financial and social instruments the Ummah has ever known: Waqf.
Think about this. Nearly 1,400 years ago, the Caliph Uthman ibn Affan saw a need. The people of Madinah were thirsty. He purchased the Well of Raumah and declared it a Waqf, a sacred trust for the benefit of all, forever. That single act of devotion didn't just quench a city's thirst for a season. It grew. It compounded. Today, the trust from that well owns hotels and assets in Madinah Al Munawwarah, with the proceeds still serving the community. It is a story of enduring legacy, of compounding barakah.
This is not a relic of the past. In Egypt, Al-Azhar University has stood for over a millennium as a global center of learning, sustained by a Waqf system that made knowledge accessible. In modern times, look at Muhammadiyah, recognized as the world’s largest Muslim organization in terms of assets under management headquartered in Indonesia, whose vast network of schools, universities and hospitals serves millions benefitting from Waqf model. Look at Türkiye, where powerful institutions like the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation leverage the Waqf model to deliver massive educational and social impact.
Waqf is our blueprint for building institutions that last for generations. So, we asked a very simple question: What if we built technology like a Waqf?
This is the Tech Waqf Initiative.
It’s not another company or fund. It is a movement to change the very soul of technology. It starts by asking a different set of questions.
What if our technology ventures weren't designed to accumulate obscene fortunes for a handful of founders and VCs, but to belong to the Ummah?
What if the goal wasn’t a billion-dollar valuation, but a billion lives uplifted?
What if we measured success not by the speed of our exit, but by the generational impact we create?
What if our algorithms were coded not with a false neutrality, but with the explicit values of justice (
adl) and compassion (rahmah)?What if our ecosystem fostered radical collaboration, uniting the best minds of the Ummah to solve our greatest challenges together?
Every project we touch will be guided by one unwavering principle: it must strengthen the unity of the Ummah and contribute to a more just, peaceful, and prosperous world for all humanity.
Why now? Because we are at a tipping point. The digital chains that bind us are getting stronger every day. The technologies that enable surveillance and oppression are accelerating. To wait is to accept a future where our digital identity is permanently controlled by others. We can no longer afford to be consumers of biased technology; the moment has come to be the architects of our own digital destiny. The stakes have never been higher.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us that even if we see the Final Hour coming and we have a seedling in our hand, we should plant it.
This initiative is our seedling. It is our hope for a different kind of future. A future where our technology empowers us, protects us, and belongs to us.
Throughout this space, we will regularly share ideas on tech initiatives our Ummah should have. Feel free to execute them with us. This community can help you sharpen your thoughts, find fellow builders and supporters, and launch your product to the world.
If you are one of the crazy ones—a builder, a founder, an investor, a dreamer who believes technology can and must serve a higher purpose—then you belong with us.
The journey begins now. Email the servant of Ummah at ghufron@huwa.io should you have some inquiries or want to be part of it.
Let’s build what’s next. Together.
This article was written based on original concepts and structure by the author. Generative AI was used to assist with elaboration, refinement, and image.