waqfiyya

Waqfiyya refers to a formal legal instrument in Islamic law that establishes and governs a waqf, or charitable endowment. The document records essential information such as the founder, the assets being endowed (including land, buildings, or cash), the beneficiaries or public beneficiaries, and the conditions governing use and management. A waqfiyya typically designates a mutawalli or trustee responsible for administering the endowment and ensuring that proceeds or revenues are applied to the specified purposes, such as a mosque, school, hospital, or public works.

Assets placed in a waqf are generally irrevocable and inalienable. The endowment is intended to be perpetual, with ownership treated as dedicated to divine purposes while the usufruct or revenue is allocated to the beneficiaries according to the terms. The document may specify whether the endowment is perpetual (waqf mutlaq) or time-limited, and may include rules on investment, rents, repairs, and supervision.

Waqfiyya can be created during life or by will (waqf wasiya). In many Islamic legal traditions, the waqf is a well-established instrument for philanthropy and social welfare, and its records have become important historical sources for property rights, social history, and architectural patronage. Across regions—from the Middle East to North Africa and beyond—waqfiyya documents vary in form but share the aim of securing a lasting charitable benefit.

Today waqf institutions continue in some countries under modern civil or religious law, subject to contemporary regulation and oversight. The term remains primarily associated with charitable endowment but may appear in architectural and legal histories as an important category of legal documents.