Waqf — Islamic Endowments
Waqf is an Islamic endowment structure in which an asset — commonly property, cash, or an investment fund — is permanently dedicated to a charitable or community purpose. Unlike a one-time Sadaqah donation, a Waqf is designed to generate ongoing benefit for its designated cause indefinitely, often funding mosques, schools, cemeteries, or community services.
Fair Meridian's Waqf resources examine how the concept translates into the modern American context, where Muslim communities are increasingly formalizing Waqf structures using nonprofit and endowment-fund vehicles recognized under US law. This includes questions about governance, investment of Waqf assets, and how a community can establish and sustain an endowment over the long term.
Waqf sits alongside Zakat and Sadaqah as one of the three major pillars of Islamic giving, but it operates differently: Zakat is obligatory and calculated annually, Sadaqah is voluntary and typically consumed by its recipient, while a Waqf asset itself is preserved so that only its income or usufruct is spent on the charitable purpose.
These guides are intended to help community leaders and individual donors understand Waqf as both a religious and practical financial structure. Establishing a Waqf involves legal, tax, and governance considerations that should be reviewed with qualified professionals alongside appropriate Sharia guidance.