New Delhi: The concept of waqf (the Islamic practice of charitable endowments) has long ignited political, religious, and historical debates in India. The latest catalyst was The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which received the assent of the President of India Sunday after its passage in both Houses of Parliament last week.
It was during the discussion on the legislation in the Lok Sabha that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Jharkhand’s Godda Nishikant Dubey said Rabbi Mukhayriq, a Jewish scholar who is believed to have fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of Uhud in 625 CE, was the first to dedicate his orchard as waqf to the Prophet.
The claim added an unexpected interfaith dimension to the ongoing discourse on waqf.
“Waqf is something that has been practised for centuries, and over time, it has been formalised into an institution with its own rules and regulations,” Mubarak Hussain, Islamic scholar and welfare officer of Haryana waqf board, told ThePrint.
Adding, “Rabbi Mukhayriq is a figure mentioned in stories and anecdotes, but there is no reference to him in Islamic history or the Hadith.”
Following Dubey’s statement, many from the Muslim community voiced their scepticism, questioning how he came to know of a historical account unfamiliar even to many practising Muslims and Islamic scholars. But that does not appear to be the case.
In July 2022, writing for Eurasia Review, Allen S. Maller who is an ordained rabbi and columnist for The Times of Israel, wrote about Mukhayriq.
According to Maller, during the Battle of Uhud, Mukhayriq declared that if he died in battle, all his wealth, including seven gardens, should be given to the Prophet. The Prophet then used this inheritance to establish the first waqf in Islam, providing for the poor in Medina.
Maller attributed this account to Dr Muqtedar Khan, a professor of political science at the University of Delaware, and director of its Islamic studies programme. Khan, according to Maller, identified Mukhayriq as the “first Jewish martyr of Islam”.
He also highlighted that this episode—largely absent from contemporary Islamic sermons—holds profound meaning for interfaith understanding.
In another piece he wrote for Eurasia Review in August 2023, Maller further explored the story of Mukhayriq, a Jew from Medina who supported the Prophet’s cause during a pivotal moment in early Islamic history. The piece was titled ‘Prophet Muhammad’s Very Rabbinic Ally’.
Dubey’s remarks also raised eyebrows across communities, with some questioning the origin of his information. His statement sparked an online conversation about how such a figure—if so significant—remained absent from religious teaching and public awareness.
“How does Mr. Dubey know all this? Even religious Muslims never heard of Mukhayriq, nor do they know that he was buried in Madina along with the Prophet’s companions,” wrote Zahack Tanvir on X, director of Milli Chronicle, a London-based digital news publication.
#BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in Parliament quoted #Jewish Rabbi #Mukhayriq who was the close friend of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ. Mukhayriq fought for the Prophet in the battle of Uhud and died. He was the one who first gifted his orchard as the #Waqf to the Prophet.
How does Mr. Dubey…
— Zahack Tanvir – ضحاك تنوير (@zahacktanvir) April 3, 2025
The story of Mukhayriq has split opinion—while some view it as apocryphal, others say it deserves deeper academic scrutiny.
On Rabbi Mukhayriq and the concept of waqf in Islamic history, Inam-ur-Rahman, assistant secretary (community affairs) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), told ThePrint that dedicating something in the name of Allah has always been practised. However, during Prophet Muhammad’s time, it was formalised with specific rules, leading to the prominence of such narratives. “Rabbi Mukhayriq, referring to his orchard, had asked Prophet Muhammad about its disposition, to which the Prophet advised making it a waqf,” Rahman suggested.
Waqf refers to a charitable endowment in Islamic law, where a person dedicates their assets—such as property, land, or buildings—for religious or charitable purposes. Once designated as waqf, these assets cannot be sold, transferred, or used for personal gain.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: 1995 Waqf Act balanced Islamic principles and Indian law. Amendment Bill shifts the scales
