What does « To stop / Endowment » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To stop / Endowment (وقف) in the Quran, with 4 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

وقف

To stop / Endowment

Root: ق - ف

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 4 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To stop / Endowment

Al-Waqf refers to stopping, halting and immobilization.

The Almighty says: 'And stop them, for they are to be questioned' (As-Saffat 24).

Figuratively, it means end and completion.

Waqf also refers to what is consecrated to Allah, such as religious endowments (habous).

To stop / Endowment in the Quran (4)

Meccan: 4 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-An'am 2

Saba 1

As-Saffat 1

Surah Al-An'am : 27 Meccan

﴿وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾

If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers."

Surah Al-An'am : 30 Meccan

﴿وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِٱلْحَقِّ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ﴾

If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say, "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will [then] say, "So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve."

Surah Saba : 31 Meccan

﴿وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ٱلْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾

And those who disbelieve say, "We will never believe in this Qur'an nor in that before it." But if you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, refuting each other's words... Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "If not for you, we would have been believers."

Surah As-Saffat : 24 Meccan

﴿وَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُم مَّسْـُٔولُونَ﴾

And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."