Digitalising waqf for sustainable development growth: Investigating user intentions through technology readiness and ethical commitment

The digitalisation of cash waqf represents a promising avenue within Islamic social finance, offering substantial potential to enhance the welfare and socio-economic development of Muslim communities. Through digital platforms, cash waqf can be collected, managed and distributed more efficiently, transparently and widely compared to traditional methods. Despite these advantages, the level of public participation and contributions to digital cash waqf platforms remains significantly below expectations. This gap highlights the need to better understand the factors that influence individuals’ willingness to adopt digital channels for charitable giving. This study aims to explore the determinants that influence individuals’ intentions to contribute to cash waqf via digital platforms by employing the Technology Readiness framework. Specifically, the study examines the roles of optimism, innovativeness, insecurity, discomfort, and moral obligation in shaping users’ behavioural intentions toward online waqf contributions. Data were collected through an online survey involving 211 Muslim respondents in Malaysia who have experience with digital financial services. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. The findings reveal that optimism, insecurity, and moral obligation have a positive and significant influence on individuals’ intentions to donate cash waqf through digital platforms. In contrast, discomfort demonstrates a significant negative effect, indicating that feelings of technological anxiety and lack of confidence in using digital systems may discourage adoption. Given the limited empirical research on digital cash waqf, this study contributes valuable insights into the psychological and behavioural factors influencing online donation behaviour. The findings provide practical implications for waqf institutions and policymakers to design strategies that reduce technological barriers while strengthening moral and religious motivations, thereby encouraging wider adoption of digital cash waqf platforms, particularly in developing countries with similar socio-economic environments.