Waqf

An irrevocable endowment, whether in cash or property, to be held perpetually in trust and used for a purpose serving Islamic sharia law (such as a religious school, charity, mosque, etc.). A waqf (pl. awqaf) is a permanent donation that can never be transferred, sold, or altered in function or purpose. Waqf (from the root waqafa, to cause something to stop and stand still) in Arabic means to halt or preserve. In this case, the function of the endowment is permanently channeled to an Islamic religious purpose in perpetuity.