Conceptualisation and validating benefidonors model in Waqf

Abstract

Waqf movement in Malaysia has a long history since the colonization era with plenty of innovations being practiced by waqf managers. The literatures have highlighted on the performance of waqf as a social finance instrument with transformational impacts to the economic wellbeing of the beneficiaries. There is a considerable gap between the cyclic impact on the transformation of waqf beneficiaries into donors that needs to be highlighted. The main aim of the study is to conceptualize and validate the beneficiaries-donors model which evolved from the perspective of mutual assistance (ta’awun) prosumers, consumerchant, and volunteer. The study adopts a three-phase qualitative approach. The proposed model on Benefidonors is the result of the first stage, which involved content analysis of literature data. Data was also obtained via Focus Group Discussions (FGD) in the second step of creating and confirming the model. Three different groups of participants, namely donors, beneficiaries, and mutawalli, participated in three different sessions of FGD using MS Teams. The third stage is model validation where the participants have validated the model through a few series of FGD. The participants were given a conceptual model to see whether the new term introduced, "Benefidonors," could be accepted or require further refinement. The new term coined, Benefidonors concept, suggests for a transformational cyclic impact of the major players in the waqf activism. The major output of this paper is the validated term “Benefidonors” which is a hybrid word, derived from the word, “Beneficiaries” and “Donors”. The “Benefidonors” promotes towards “share more”, “use more” and “donate more” for waqf ecosystem using the concept of mutual assistance (ta’awun) prosumers, consumerchant and volunteer. The finding of this research shows that the new term "Benefidonors," even though it is still emerging and requiring efforts for exposure and branding, is inherently practiced, being aware of and known in the community, but it needs a systematic design and strategic arrangement for further expansion.