WAQF-DPL / HISTORY

From the pioneering Ojuba project to the seven-level Waqf-DPL draft.

Source record

This explanatory translation follows the project history source. Waqf-DPL 1.0 remains an open draft.

Source
documents/history.md
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a14e6a85859c90f4ef21b693ac2fc90b051e7f4c4a29668611dc6c29d60e8ea8
Read the current draft

History of the Waqf Digital Public License

The Waqf Digital Public License (Waqf-DPL) builds on a pioneering idea introduced by the Ojuba project in 2005. Ojuba developed the first and second versions of its General Waqf License as an attempt to ground the sharing of intellectual works in an Islamic jurisprudential framework. Their original work remains available in the Ojuba Waqf repository.

WaqfTech is building on that contribution after more than eight years without further development of the earlier license. Waqf-DPL approaches the contemporary digital landscape with a newly designed structure and scope.

Why begin at version 1.0 rather than 3.0?

It might appear natural to call this the third version after Ojuba’s two earlier releases. We chose to begin at Waqf-DPL 1.0 for several substantive reasons:

  • A structural redesign: This is not a routine update. It introduces a multi-level system—Isnad, Mulzim, Khayri, and the remaining levels—which did not exist in the earlier releases. Starting at 1.0 makes the new structure explicit.
  • A distinct identity: The Waqf-DPL 1.0 name establishes a clear beginning for a modern license designed for digital works. It distinguishes this project from the earlier General Waqf License and reduces ambiguity in references and documentation.
  • A maintainable version path: Beginning at 1.0 provides a clear route for future clarification releases and major structural revisions. Calling it 3.0 would suggest continuity with a different single-license model.
  • A name reflecting its scope: The updated name, Waqf Digital Public License, explicitly identifies the focus on software and digital works and warrants an independent version line.