Waqf

Uncommon card · No. 183122

A waqf (Arabic: وَقْف; [ˈwɑqf], plural awqāf أَوْقَاف), also called a ḥabs (حَبْس, plural ḥubūs حُبوس or aḥbās أَحْباس), sometimes translated as mortmain property, is a type of irrevocable trust in Islamic law, typically taking the form of an endowment of real estate or other assets to be used for a specified purpose. The person making such a donation is known as a waqif ('donor'), who nominates a trustee (waqf guardian) to manage the property in exchange for a share of the revenues it generates. A waqf can be used for various purposes, including the upkeep of a public building or the provision of a charitable service. Perhaps the most notable waqf is the Jerusalem Waqf, which manages the al-Aqsa Mosque under the oversight of the Government of Jordan. Although the waqf system depended on several hadiths and presented elements similar to practices from pre-Islamic cultures, the formal system of waqf trusts emerged from the 9th century onwards (see § History and location below). The waqf...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Mdktb, Public domain