A
waqf, also called a
ḥabs, or
mortmain property, is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitable purposes with no intention of reclaiming the assets. A charitable trust may hold the donated assets. The person making such dedication is known as a
waqif ('donor'). In Ottoman Turkish law, and later under the British Mandate of Palestine, a
waqf was defined as usufruct state land from which the state revenues are assured to pious foundations. Although the
waqf system depended on several hadiths and presented elements similar to practices from pre-Islamic cultures, it seems that the specific full-fledged Islamic legal form of endowment called
waqf dates from the 9th century AD.