India, April 17 -- The Supreme Court, while hearing petitions against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, raised concerns about a particular set of Waqf properties called the 'Waqf by user'.

The court on Thursday went ahead and directed the Centre not to denotify 'Waqf by user' properties under the new law, at least until the next hearing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, assured the bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna that those properties won't be touched for now. But what exactly is 'Waqf by user'?

A 'waqf by user' refers to a property that is treated as waqf based on its long-term use for religious or charitable purposes, even without formal documentation.

The concept was legally recognise...