Individual Muslim behavior in donating cash waqf − does cash waqf literacy matter?

Purpose This study aims to provide empirical evidence of the influence of cash waqf literacy and other factors, such as attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, trust and religiosity, on behavior in donating cash waqf. The authors extend the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain the behavior of donating cash waqf. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed 384 respondents selected using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Data were analyzed using SEM-PLS. Findings The authors report that indicators in the theory of TPB (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), public trust in waqf institutions and commitment of society to Islamic beliefs, principles and activities (religiosity) positively and significantly influence individual behavior in donating cash waqf. Moreover, the authors report that cash waqf literacy increases a person’s ability to read, understand, calculate and access information about cash waqf and thus enhances behavior in donating cash waqf. Research limitations/implications This study applied convenience and snowball sampling methods; access to the list of all cash waqf donors was not possible. The authors recommend further research involving waqf institutions in providing data on cash waqf donors. Practical implications This research implies that the government and waqf institutions need to increase cash waqf literacy by providing training, educational books or videos and collaboration with scholars and ulama to teach cash waqf actively. It is a crucial factor in enhancing public cash waqf donations. Originality/value This study modifies the TPB theory and reports that cash waqf literacy and public trust in waqf institutions strengthen the TPB theory and enhance donating cash waqf.