The numbers are scary. As we write this, there are four and a quarter hundred thousand humans reported to be affected by the pandemic Covind-19. The number of deaths are fast approaching the twenty-thousand figure world-wide. No one can predict where these numbers are headed. Mankind has never faced a challenge of this magnitude during…
By Mufti Billal Omarjee, Certified Waqf Professional (CeWP), IIIBF. As we are out of Europe, and with the rise of populism and the far-right support across the UK and Europe, and with the recent attacks by so called Muslim jihadists in the West, it has become imperative for the British Muslims to start thinking of…
The conceptual foundations of blockchain technology have a strong ethical dimension. It is usually associated with terms, such as, transparency, verifiability, traceability, immutability, all of which are bracketed with economically and socially ethical behavior. It is trust-inducing and involves consensus-building, that further underline its ethical roots. And its emergence in recent years is a response…
Identity brings in many benefits in the context of zakat distribution (as underlined in my earlier blog). Lack of identity or anonymity on the part of the beneficiaries is certainly not desirable. It should be obvious that a digital environment makes it possible for the zakat organization to collect many types of personal data. Zakat…
My last blog ended on a note that digitizing zakat payments to beneficiaries would be more efficient, as compared to payments involving hard cash or in-kind payments, by avoiding costs related to leakages, fraud and ensuring greater accountability. This comes with a few qualifiers, however. We assume that the technology and infrastructure is there. And…
Zakat may be paid out by an individual muzakki (zakat payer) directly to an individual mustahiq (zakat beneficiary). This is the practice in countries where there is no organized or institutional mobilization and disbursement of zakat. Arguably, organized zakat management has many positives. Available evidence suggests that organized zakat management may be more efficient in…
The Investment Account Platform (IAP) is an internet-based multibank platform. It provides for an engine for efficient mobilization of funds. It offers new risk-reward concepts that is expected to benefit investors and entrepreneurs. So far, IAP has 7 partner banks, and has raised over USD 50 million from 300 plus investors for 13 projects. The…
