I'm reading an abridged version of the Rihla right now and just finished the section on Syria. One interesting point is the system of "waqf" or charitable found

I'm reading an abridged version of the Rihla right now and just finished the section on Syria. One interesting point is the system of "waqf" or charitable foundations, that apparently encompassed every aspect of society. He relates a story where he saw a servant boy in Damascus carrying a delicate Chinese plate down the street. He accidentally dropped the plate on the ground and it broke. A passerby told him to take the pieces to the "Charitable Foundation for Utensils" and they would give him the money to buy an equivalent plate. Ibn Battuta goes on to praise the person who set up this foundation, without knowing their identity, since if the boy had gone back home with the broken plate, he would have been scolded or whipped. It seems the sole purpose of the charity was to prevent these sorts of small mistakes from spoiling relations between people. I don't know why, but I just find this remarkable. The way that Ibn Battuta adeptly navigates tricky social situations in faraway lands is notable as well. At one point he is pressured into being part of a mourning ritual which clearly offends him, but afterwards, still manages to secure a private meeting with the local governor, in which he advises him not to drink alcohol. He is thanked by the governor for this advice and the townspeople as well.