This stele was a kind of poster intended to be read by the public and would most probably be one of two copies installed at the entrance of each of the two distant farmsteads that were the objects of the waqf. However, the text presents him with a kunya, a name (ism), a title (Ḫādim) and a social status (mawlā).
The person who is the founder of the waqf is Abū Sālih Ḫayr al-Ḫādim, the freedman (mawlā) of al-Muᶜtazz bi-llāh, the commander of the believers. The waqf of two farms in Palestine with horses and mules makes it a production unit which is quite unique and whose crops is for the beneficiaries of the Waqf. The article deciphers the difficult text, and gives its translation into English and analysis the contents and tries to understand the paleographic features of the script. The study is based on the pictures of photos of the auction House. The inscription come up in an auction in 2015 and was sold to an unknown buyer. It is written on a limestone in a very distinctive cuneiform like kufic form. This article contains the publication of the oldest survived waqfiyya inscription from the Islamic World (between 252 / 866 and the eighties of the third century of the hegira / last decade of the 9th century AD). Looking at several footstep (or sandal) images, it will be asked whether it is possible in each case to interpret and to determine what the communication through the relevant object implied. On the other hand, the motif represents the sacred that is worthy of veneration. This paper will argue that the symbol of the footsteps offer a twofold perspective: Since the standing before god is a crucial element of the attitude of the believer during prayer, and can also be connected with the pilgrimage to Mecca, the motif of the footprints is imbued with a potential of identification for the believer. The practice of veneration becomes tangible not only in rites of pilgrimage, but also in the representations of footprints (and sandals), which can be found in book painting as well as in other media. There is a connection between footprints in stone and certain sanctuaries, the ḥaram of Mecca being the most prominent among them, while other examples can be found throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
There is a wide range of such relics, ranging from traces left by the oldest prophets (such as Ibrahim) to the footprints of the Prophet Muhammad, his contemporaries (Ali) and persons from later history such as the Shiʿi imams. The imprints of the living body in stone, as relics of the prophets and other venerated men, are held in particular respect by many Muslims.
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