Strategic Communication Approaches for Optimizing Zakat in the Digital Era
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32832/jm-uika.v17i2.21500Keywords:
Zakat, strategic communication, digital mediaAbstract
The digital transformation of Islamic finance has significantly reshaped the mechanisms through which Zakat an essential pillar of Islam is collected, managed, and distributed. Despite the technological advancements introduced by Islamic fintech, optimizing Zakat's potential, estimated globally at over $600 billion annually, remains contingent on the effectiveness of strategic communication. This paper explores how communication strategies can be harnessed to enhance transparency, build trust, and bridge traditional religious values with emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and mobile platforms.
Through a mixed methods approach combining literature review, comparative case studies, and theoretical framework development, this research identifies three dominant communication models utilized in digital Zakat platforms: the trust-centric model, the community driven model, and the personalized model. Each model aligns with distinct contextual variables such as user trust levels, social structures, and technological familiarity. The study also reveals how communication effectiveness is amplified when aligned with specific technological capacities—for instance, blockchain's transparency features or AI's predictive messaging capabilities.
Cultural adaptation, including linguistic localization, Islamic aesthetic design, and gender-sensitive communication, emerges as a vital dimension in ensuring the relevance and reach of digital Zakat platforms. The findings contribute a multi layered communication framework for digital religious philanthropy, offering practical strategies for Zakat institutions, fintech developers, and policymakers. Beyond the scope of Islamic finance, the paper provides broader insights into how traditional religious obligations can be effectively digitized and communicated in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
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