Waqf has been practised by Muslims since the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad time. The practice continues today, covering various sectors and fields. One of the sectors in which waqf is practised is education. Education is one of the basic needs of people, but not all can afford to pursue their studies to tertiary level. In Malaysia, some public and private universities have initiated efforts to develop awqaf properties with the intention of helping poor and needy students, among others. In addition, waqf can also be used to finance other beneficial projects, the returns being channelled to other beneficial purposes that are allowed by Sharia. This paper is a conceptual paper, with data gathered from interviews and articles published in journals, conference proceedings, books and universities' official website. the data show that among higher education institutions, five public and four private institutions had established a waqf fund. They established the waqf fund with the aim of helping poor and needy students. Usufructs or returns from awqaf funds have been channelled into scholarships and research grants, to build facilities and to find academic projects to benefit the universities. � Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is known to be effective as an anti-osteoporotic treatment for postmenopausal women but exerted many adverse effects. Ficus carica (FC) or fig is a fruit rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory sources that are believed to contribute to its potential as ERT alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FC supplementation on the trabecular microarchitecture of postmenopausal osteoporotic rat models. Fifty-six adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups of Sham-operated (Sham), ovariectomized control (OVX), ovariectomized with 64.5 ?g/kg estrogen Premarin (ERT), ovariectomized with 50 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC (FC50), ovariectomized with 100 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC (FC100), ovariectomized with 50 mg/kg raw extract of FC (RAW50) and ovariectomized with 100 mg/kg raw extract of FC (RAW100). The treatments were given daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. After the treatment, rats were euthanized and femora were dissected out for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. Trabecular structure of OVX femur showed significant osteoporotic deterioration in bone volume, trabecular separation, structural model index and connectivity density. ERT significantly reversed the osteoporotic-induced bone changes comparable to Sham level. RAW50 showed the best FC treatment in preserving bone microarchitecture. In conclusion, raw extraction of FC has high potential as an alternative against osteoporosis due to its high mineral contents and bioactive compounds.