Waqf
/wɑːqf/noun
An Islamic charitable endowment in which property or assets are permanently dedicated to religious, educational, or public benefit.
Did you know?A waqf could fund mosques, schools, hospitals, fountains, and even meals for travelers, creating a self-sustaining charitable system centuries before modern foundations.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*w-q-p
“To stand, stop, or hold in place”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
waqafa
“He stopped, stood still, or caused something to remain fixed”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
waqf
“A property or asset held permanently for a pious or charitable purpose”
Medieval period
Persian/Ottoman Turkish
waqf / vakıf
“A legally protected religious or charitable endowment”
17th–18th Century
English
wakf / waqf
“An Islamic endowment recognized in English travel, legal, and scholarly writing”
Modern English
English
waqf
“A permanent Islamic charitable trust or endowed property”