المعنى الاصطلاحي :

Endowment funds designated to be used in the cause of Allah, by benefiting from it or its profit while preserving the fund itself.

الشرح المختصر :

"Ahbās" (endowment funds) are properties whose owners dedicated to charity. They include fixed assets, such as real-estate and farms, and movable assets which endure after being used, such as tools and machines. "Ahbās" are divided into two categories: 1. Public: which are placed under state control, such as mosques, graveyards, etc. 2. Private: whose beneficiaries are individuals, such as a house whose owner designates as an endowment for his children and grandchildren and so forth. Some scholars call this type "ahbās mu‘aqqabah" (successive endowments).

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

"Ahbās" (sing. hibs): anything used to stop the flow of water, such as a stone or the like. Original meaning: stopping.