Endowment has played an important role in Islamic Communities across the different ages. It has satisfied the basic needs of the community, such as financing mosques, architecture and its maintenance, financing education and provision of health care. Financing scientific researches and construction of public utilities such as roads, Financing, establishment and maintenance of Public Libraries. Generally, the endowment has had a big role in satisfying what Muslims have needed in matters of their social life.

The Messenger of Allah's endowment of walls at Khaiber is considered the first benevolent endowment in Islam. It consists of seven farms, whose owner had recommended it to be given to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) to place it wherever Allah want if he is killed. That man was killed at Uhud, therefore Mohammed (Peace be upon him), made it continuous alms. It continued like that until its fruits were taken to Omar bin Abdul Aziz when he became caliph. Then (Peace be upon him) endowed the land he seized from Beni Nadeer, then (Peace be upon him) endowments followed successively until it reached eight, as recorded by historians and biography writers.

The most famous endowment is the endowment of Omar bin Al Khattab may Allah bless his soul. In Hadith narrated by Al Bukhary and Moslem by Nafei by Abdullah bin Omar, He said that Omar acquired a land in Khaiber and he came to Prophet (Peace be upon him) to take his instructions, and he said, Oh Messenger of Allah I acquired a land at Khaiber I have never acquired money more dear than it, What do you order me to do with? Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said if you want, keep its origin and charioted with its fruits. Omar made it alms not to be sold, granted, inherited and made it alms to the poor and needy people, wayfarers, fighter in the cause of Allah and the guest. No offence is on its owner to eat amicably.

About the concept of endowment:
The concept of endowment refers lexically as Al Razi and Al Maqry say it means “Detention” of which I have endowed the house, which means I detained it for the cause of Allah. Endowed i.e. detained, plural is endowments. The man endowed the things, means I prevented it from being seized i.e. I stopped.

As regards endowment as a term: Ibn Qutamah said: Endowment is: “Detention of origin and making its fruits common for public”. Sayed Sabiq said, endowment is “Detention of origin and making the fruits common for public”, i.e. Detention of money and payment of its benefits for the cause of Allah. Al Jarhany said, endowment is “to detain of property of the owner of endowment and dispense with the benefit”. It is said detention of the property from being owned and dispense with its benefit, the property will become the property of Allah.

Endowment derives its legitimacy from the actual Sunnah as mentioned above and the two Prophet sayings. If a man died his work will be discontinued except from three “Hadith” narrated by Moslem of it he mentioned the continuous alms, Al Nawawi said there is evidence of correctness of endowment and greatness of its reward. From the saying of Allah in the Quran (On that day man is told the tale of that which he sent before and left behind) i.e. the work he sent before and the work he left behind, and the telling is the dooms day.