waqf
/vʌkf
/noun (plural same)
An endowment made by a Muslim to a religious, educational, or charitable cause.Characterizes Palestine as an Islamic waqf (pious endowment), so no portion of it can be relinquished....
- In Arabic, a waqf implies a religious endowment fund, which renders a property unalienable, incapable of being surrendered or transferred.
- In many Muslim lands women have been systematically denied their inheritance rights under Islamic law, either by family pressures or by legal devices such as the family waqf or trust.
Origin
From Arabic, literally 'stoppage, immobilization (of ownership of property)', from waqafa 'come to a standstill'.