Editing Waqf (section)

==Definition==
The term {{transliteration|ar|waqf}} literally means 'confinement and prohibition', or causing a thing to stop or stand still.<ref>Hassan (1984) as cited in HS Nahar and H Yaacob, 2011, Accountability in the Sacred Context: The case of management, accounting and reporting of a Malaysian cash awqaf institution, Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 87–113.</ref> According to Islamic law, once an asset has been donated as ''waqf'' it cannot be sold, transferred or given as a gift.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abbasi |first=Muhammad Zubair |date=2012 |title=The Classical Islamic Law of Waqf: A Concise Introduction |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/alq/26/2/article-p121_1.xml |journal=Arab Law Quarterly |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=121–153 |doi=10.1163/157302512X629124 |issn=0268-0556}}</ref> Once a ''waqif'' has verbally or in writing declared a ''waqf'' property, it is legally conceived as the property of Allah and must be used to "fulfill public or family needs" as a charitable social service.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baqutayan |first1=Shadiya Mohamed S. |last2=Ariffin |first2=Aini Suzana |last3=Mohsin |first3=Magda Ismail A. |last4=Mahdzir |first4=Akbariah Mohd |date=2018-07-01 |title=Waqf Between the Past and Present |url=http://archive.sciendo.com/MJSS/mjss.2018.9.issue-4/mjss-2018-0124/mjss-2018-0124.pdf |journal=Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=149–155 |doi=10.2478/mjss-2018-0124 |issn=2039-2117}}</ref> A ''waqf'' property can fall into one of two categories: movable or immovable. A 'movable' asset includes money or shares which are used to finance educational, religious or cultural institutions such as ''madrasahs'' (Islamic schools) or ''mosques''.{{cn|date=June 2024}} The ''madrasahs'' and ''mosques'' themselves are an example of an 'immovable' asset which refers to land or structures open for public use. An important function of the latter is also to provide shelter and community spaces to the poor, also known as the ''mawquf 'alayh'' (beneficiaries).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abbasi |first=Muhammad Zubair |date=2012 |title=The Classical Islamic Law of Waqf: A Concise Introduction |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/alq/26/2/article-p121_1.xml |journal=Arab Law Quarterly |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=121–153 |doi=10.1163/157302512X629124 |issn=0268-0556}}</ref> 

Bahaeddin Yediyıldız defines {{transliteration|ar|waqf}} as a system comprising three elements: {{transliteration|ar|hayrat}}, {{transliteration|ar|akarat}}, and {{transliteration|ar|waqf}}. {{transliteration|ar|Hayrat}}, the plural form of {{transliteration|ar|hayr}}, means 'goodnesses' and refers to the motivational factor behind the {{lang|tr|vakıf}} organization; {{transliteration|ar|akarat}} refers to corpus and literally means 'real estates,' implying revenue-generating sources such as markets ({{transliteration|ar|bedestens}}, {{transliteration|ar|arastas}}, {{transliteration|ar|hans}}, etc.), land, and baths; and {{transliteration|ar|waqf}}, in its narrow sense, is the institution(s) providing services as committed in the {{lang|tr|vakıf}} deed, such as {{transliteration|ar|madrasas}}, public kitchens ({{transliteration|ar|imarets}}), {{transliteration|ar|karwansarays}}, mosques, libraries, etc.<ref name="Deligöz2014"/>

Generally, the {{transliteration|ar|waqf}} must fulfill three primary constraints:<ref name="khan"/>
# The one endowing the {{transliteration|ar|waqf}}, and its subsequent maintainers, should sequester the principal and allocate the proceeds to charity.
# The endowment should legally be removed from commodification, such that it is no longer on the market.
# Its sole purpose must be charitable, and the beneficiary group must be named.[[File:Islamic_Waqf_Structure.png|thumb|309x309px|Islamic Waqf Structure]]