A waqf (plural, awqāf;, )'s an inalienable religious endowment in Islam, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. It's conceptually similar to the common law trust. Funding of schools and hospitals After the Islamic waqf law and madrassah foundations were firmly established by the 10th century, the number of Bimaristan hospitals multiplied throughout Islamic lands. In the 11th century, every Islamic city had at least several hospitals. The… (More on Waqf)