The practice of waqf has existed in Malaysia since the coming of Islam to the Malay Archipelago in the 9th century (CE) (Arnold, 1913). The early awqaf properties were in the form of prayer rooms (surau), mosques, cemeteries and subsequently, madrasahs (Dahlan & Kamarudin, 2006). Mahamood divides the history of waqf in Malaysia into three phases, namely, pre-colonial Malaya, colonial Malaya and postindependence Malaya (Mahamood, 2006) but notes that there has not been much research done on the pre-colonial period in order to confirm the first awqaf properties in Malaya. Based on the premise that the earliest awqaf created were in the form of mosques, the earliest official mosque is said to be the Kg. Laut mosque in Kota Bharu, Kelantan that was built in 1676 CE (Mahamood, 2006). Nevertheless, recent research by historians, based on excavation of Lembah Bujang, an area in the northern state of Kedah in Peninsular Malaysia, has found traces of an old mosque dating back to the 9th century (Dahlan & Mohamad, 2018).
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The practice of waqf has existed in Malaysia since the coming of Islam to the Malay Archipelago in the 9th century (CE) (Arnold, 1913). The early awqaf properties were in the form of prayer rooms (surau), mosques, cemeteries and subsequently, madrasahs (Dahlan & Kamarudin, 2006). Mahamood divides the history of waqf in Malaysia into three phases, namely, pre-colonial Malaya, colonial Malaya and postindependence Malaya (Mahamood, 2006) but notes that there has not been much research done on the pre-colonial period in order to confirm the first awqaf properties in Malaya. Based on the premise that the earliest awqaf created were in the form of mosques, the earliest official mosque is said to be the Kg. Laut mosque in Kota Bharu, Kelantan that was built in 1676 CE (Mahamood, 2006). Nevertheless, recent research by historians, based on excavation of Lembah Bujang, an area in the northern state of Kedah in Peninsular Malaysia, has found traces of an old mosque dating back to the 9th century (Dahlan & Mohamad, 2018).
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