Literally, waqf (وقف), also habs, refers to prevention (to prevent), restriction (to restrict/ restrain), or confinement (to confine). Technically, it is the confinement of a private property, movable or immovable, to the welfare of society at large or a specific group of individuals (beneficiaries) even including the waqf donor/ founder (waqif) himself/ herself or his/ her family. This involves the dedication of the waqf property’s (mawqoof) income or usufruct (manfa’ah) in perpetuity or for a certain period of time to the benefit of the beneficiaries.

On the other hand, irsad (إرصاد) is the allocation of public property (wealth) for public utilities. This happens when the government authorities allocate a publicly owned asset (e.g., piece of land, buildings, etc) for public utilities such as hospitals, schools, relief centers, etc.

Both waqf and irsad are similar in concept but differ in that in Irsad (takhsis) the allocated property is not owned by the allocating party. Waqf is typically a private property at the time a waqf is established, while irsad is a public property.