Waqf in Islam

The term waqf does not actually appear in the Holy Quran but verses within it make clear 
references to the critical importance of being charitable and helping others selflessly. Both 
of these two attributes are in fact the basic drivers for doing waqf (Abdel Mohsin, 2009). 
 “By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and 
whatever ye give, of a truth God knoweth it well.” – (3:92) 
“It is not righteous that ye turn your faces toward East or West, but it is righteousness to 
believe in Allah, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers, to 
spend of your substance out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the 
wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayer, and 
practice regular charity.” – (2:177) 
The first of the two verses (verse 92 from Surat Al Imran) spurred Abu Talha, one of the 
companions of the Prophet (pbuh), to offer a prime piece of land he owned as charity in 
Allah’s cause to earn rewards. Instead, the Prophet (pbuh) advised Abu Talha to divide his 
land among his relatives in a clear instance of allocation of wealth to one’s kin. The second 
verse from Surat al Baqara urges Muslims to be genuine in their faith and immediately after 
that it urges them (through their direct actions) to help their fellow Muslims from various 
groups, especially the underprivileged members of the community. Moreover, this verse 
provides a potential framework and description of the different possible beneficiaries of 
charitable contributions starting with kin all the way to paying the ransom for freeing slaves. 
The following well-known Hadith of Prophet Mohammad which is narrated by Abu Hurairah 
(May Allah be pleased with him) reads: “When a man dies, his acts come to an end, except 
three things, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people benefit), or pious offspring, 
who pray for him”. Given the two key terms recurring and charity, almost all scholars in 
Islam interpreted the expression “recurring charity” as the foundation for waqf. But when 
we consider that if a Muslim wants to attain and combine all three sources of blessings 
along with their benefits to the Muslim ummah and people, we can understand why some 
scholars believe that only waqf can make that possible (Abdel Mohsin, 2009). 

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