“Let not those who, stingingly, withhold that which Allah has bestowed on them of His bounty think that it is good for them. No, it is (actually) bad for them . .
.” (Al Imraan 3:180). The ease of payment has also been found to be a key enabler for proper Zakat and sodaqah mobilization.
The Foundation should look into multiple methods in mobilizing resources for the Fund. Cashless transaction, mobile app transfer, blockchain technology and crowdfunding mechanism are all suitable payment options that may be explored. When proper arrangements are made with concerned authorities, regular or intermittent deductions from source are also potent in encouraging more people to pay Zakat or give general donations either as sodaqah or waqf.
Transparency and accountability would also become inevitable if we are desirous of gaining and maintaining the confidence of every party involved in Zakat related activities, particularly the payers or donors, as the case may be. In this regard, we must take the advantage of technology for enhanced transparency. Through various Zakat apps in different parts of the world today, donors can track their Zakat at any time on the app, check the live reports to learn how many people are being supported with their Zakat contributions, and receive real-time financial statements of the used and yet-to-be used Zakat funds.
When we talk of transparency in relation to Zakat administration, we have three things in mind, namely, Financial Transparency, Manageri.